Lionel Messi hit a hat trick to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer and keep the defending Spanish champion in the title chase with a 5-3 win over Granada Tuesday. Less than two weeks after scoring a Champions League record five times, the three-time world player of the year took his career club tally to 234 goals, beating a 57-year-old milestone held by Cesar Rodriguez by two goals. Messi set up Xavi Hernandez's opener before extending Barcelona's lead in the 17th. And after Granada surprisingly rallied with two quick goals after halftime, Messi scored twice more to secure the win, recording his eighth hat trick of the season. Barcelona's sixth consecutive league victory reduced leader Real Madrid's advantage to five points, turning up the pressure on its arch rival to avoid a costly slip at Villarreal Wednesday that would tighten the title hunt further. Messi has 17 goals during a seven-game scoring streak and leads La Liga with 34 goals, two ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. The hat trick was Messi's 18th for Barcelona and gave him 154 goals in his last 153 games over three seasons. His six hat tricks in La Liga this season tie the record set by Ronaldo last year. Earlier, Osasuna was held to a 0-0 home draw by Getafe. Juventus in final Mirko Vucinic scored a stunning extra-time goal to help Juventus into the Italian Cup final with a 4-3 aggregate win over Serie A title rivals AC Milan in the semifinal second leg Tuesday. The Montenegro striker hit an unstoppable right-foot drive past Milan keeper Marco Amelia in the first half of extra-time to ensure the game finished 2-2. Blackburn beats Sunderland Blackburn eased its relegation worries with a 2-0 home win over Sunderland in the Premier League Tuesday. Blackburn moved six points clear of the drop zone with nine games remaining after second-half goals by Junior Hoilett and Ayegbeni Yakubu. After a dull first half, Hoilett broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he volleyed in after Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet's weak punch from a long throw-in. Yakubu wrapped up a deserved win for the hosts when he headed home in the 86th from Bradley Orr's cross. Players from both teams wore ‘Pray for Muamba' T-shirts during the warm-up before the game in support of Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who is recovering in intensive care following a cardiac arrest during a match on Saturday. Dortmund downs Furth Substitute Ilkay Guendogan scored with the last shot of extra time for Borussia Dortmund to win 1-0 at second division Greuther Fuerth on Tuesday and reach the final of the German Cup. Guendogan's shot from the edge of the penalty box hit the post and bounced off the back of goalkeeper Jasmin Fejzic into the net. Fejzic had come on just a couple of minutes before, with Greuther Fuerth believing the match was going into a penalty shootout. Fejzic is renowned for his penalty-saving skills and can also score from the spot.
