Twitter explodes as Messi becomes the first player to score an eighth hat-trick in the Champions League 

As Champions League football returns, La Liga giants Barcelona faced Dutch champions PSV on Tuesday, a game which saw the Spanish Champions achieve a thumping victory over their opponents.

The game also saw individual records being broken as Argentine ace Lionel Messi notched his eighth UEFA Champions League hat-trick thereby becoming the first player to do so.

Messi went into the game tied with Cristiano Ronaldo in Champions League hat-tricks: each having scored seven. The Argentine is now ahead of the Portuguese in the feat and has now scored 48 hat-tricks in all competitions.

Barcelona's all-time top scorer opened the bank with a phenomenal free-kick at the 32nd minute. This was followed by Ousmane Dembele's curling strike in the 75th minute to add to his side's goal tally. The goal is the French forward's fifth from six games in all competitions this season.

Messi scored his second goal only two minutes later when Ivan Rakitic's pass was netted home for Barcelona's third goal.

The Argentine then completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute when a lovely chipped pass from Luis Suarez was struck home from 15 yards by the captain.

PSV are the 30th team Messi has scored against in the Champions League,. The man has also managed to find the net past a staggering 179 goalkeepers.

The new Barcelona captain appears to have put away his team's torrid World Cup campaign and has since scored seven goals in six games this season.

The Argentine now has 104 goals to his name in the competition. He has also scored 14 consecutive goals in the Champions League campaign, putting him alongside Real Madrid legend Raul in a joint record.

Twitter has since responded with reactions to the feat:

Hattrick was promised..and we got it..thanku GOAT

— VishalD3 (@mVishalD3) September 18, 2018

First player to score more hat tricks in the CL history, and we the Barca fans knows it’s his normal routine work he does unlike some people like by now the world and social media platforms has turn into something else.#GOAT🐐🐐

— NICHO_DURO (@SMALLBODY_TUGA) September 18, 2018

Good Morning to every one except those who think Lionel Messi is not The Greatest of all Time.

— 50 Shades. (@irxxad) September 19, 2018

The thing about Messi is not that he scored a hattrick but the fact that he did it while also creating and casually running around the DM position at times. This man is simply... too good to be real. It's impossible for someone to be such a complete player.

— Jεnny (@GreekCule) September 18, 2018

1st goal - Lionel Messi1st free kick - Lionel Messi1st hat-trick - Lionel MessiAll hail the G.O.A.T!!!

— Mr Leps (@Mr_Leps) September 19, 2018

Lionel Messi just can't stop scoring❤👑

— Isabel Dias (@IsabelxxDias) September 19, 2018

MESSI HATTRICK OMG I’M LITERALLY SHAKING RN WHAT A GOAL WHAT A GOAL WHAT A GOAALLL

— Лия (@barshilunah) September 18, 2018

Specialist pic.twitter.com/ymOFfWpHMT

— Sunny Sharma (@SunnyChelsea14) September 18, 2018

Messi hattrick. Because of course.

— MGH (@OfficialMgh) September 18, 2018

He made my night.... Actually we blessed to have this guy in this world 😊

— Zwakele Mahlobo (@Zwakele195) September 18, 2018

Take it or leave it, Lionel Messi is a wonder to his generation. He keeps making critics talk about him everyday with records to show for it & after scoring the 1st hattrick in the champions league, I have to say he's one G.O.A.T that deserves the praise. RT if you agree 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/sD3lUGegMZ

— Chukwu Emeka™ (@GodspowerSpeaks) September 18, 2018

The victory was briefly soured when France defender Umtiti was sent off in the 79th minute for a second yellow card. This rules him out of Barcelona's next Champions League game away to Tottenham Hotspur on October 3.