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DREAM TEAM: Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates his fourth goal with coach Pep Guardiola against Espanyol during their La Liga match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona on Saturday. Photo: REUTERS

About 89,000 fans sang Guardiola's name and waved flags, saying "thank you, Pep" during the game, but it was the diminutive Argentine who put the icing on the cake to win a La Liga match with little riding on it 4-0 almost single-handedly.

"Lionel has hogged the limelight all season, I can't be jealous," outgoing Barca coach Guardiola told reporters when asked if Messi's performance had overshadowed his farewell.

"I hope that in the future he continues doing as well. For my part, I have tried to help him as much as possible and, without question, he has helped me a lot to be a high-profile coach and to improve."

Messi notched up his 50th league goal this season, moving five ahead of his nearest rival Cristiano Ronaldo with one match to play, and took his tally in all competitions this term to an astonishing 72.

The World Player of the Year had said he had been too upset to go watch his coach give the news conference where he said he was leaving the club a week ago, but repaid Guardiola in his own way on Saturday.

After scoring his fourth, he ran across to embrace Guardiola on the touchline, the rest of the squad swarming around them in a huddle.

"I thank him for this detail," Guardiola added. "I have received a lot of affection from the players throughout my time here. I love them a great deal and that always remains."

Guardiola has one more away game in La Liga as boss, and a chance to win a 14th trophy in his fourth season, when Barca take on Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup final in Madrid on May 25.

His close friend and assistant Tito Vilanova will replace him next season, with Guardiola saying he needed time out to recharge his batteries.

Barca president Sandro Rosell left the door open for the club's most successful coach to return when he liked.

Saturday's other results:

Real Madrid 2, Granada 1; Real Zaragoza 2, Racing Santander 1; Athletic Club 0, Getafe 0; Mallorca 1, Levante 0; Sevilla 5, Rayo Vallecano 2; Sporting Gijón 2, Real Betis 1; Atlético Madrid 2, Malaga 1; Valencia 1, Villarreal 0; and Osasuna 1, Real Sociedad 0.

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Wed May 22 16:47:32 SAST 2013 ::

May 7, 2012

asaowe

messi the grtetest of them all
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May 7, 2012

SteveBiko

King messi
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May 7, 2012

FrantzFanon.Lives

This guy is great
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May 7, 2012

Lehido

im still wondering why Pep is leaving
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May 7, 2012

Gogosboy

Ronaldo "God sent me to play football". Messi respond "I didn't send anyone to play football". Lol in short Messi is God of football
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May 7, 2012

Ophezulu

72 goals in one season, wow. I think that's the total of all PSL teams combined.
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May 7, 2012

Mafu'theNkukhu

Pep should "recharge his batteries" and comeback to the Barca Boys!
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May 7, 2012

shrink7

Visca Barca
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May 7, 2012

Keafixa

ya this guy can score.....jeses 72 goals one man....and our own cant even score 20 goals
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May 7, 2012

SKIZOBANTWANA

Its such a disgrace when it comes to our PSL strikers, All of our top strikers combined current goals can't even reach Messi's total..

Nomvete 18
Rodgers 11
Manqele 11
Mphela 10
Majoro 10
Mathebula 10

Total: 70
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