Pedro’s Heroic Strikes Return Barca to the Top.

Pedro scored a hat-trick and Cesc Fabregas came up with a brace as Barcelona beat Getafe 2-5 without the injured Lionel Messi and the suspended Neymar on Sunday.

Spain international Pedro scored thrice in nine minutes and provided for Fabregas as the Catalans overturn a two-goal deficit at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to return to the La Liga summit going into the winter break.

Sergio Escudero opened scoring for the hosts before Lisandro Lopez made it 2-0 in the opening 15 minutes.

Escudero traded a neat one-two pass with Angel Lafita and then drilled home from close range in the 10th minute. Four minutes later, coach Gerardo Martino was stunned to see his side get behind by two goals as an unmarked Lisandro leaped above Baulgrana’s defence to power in a Pedro Leon corner.

Knowing they needed just a 2-goal win against Getafe to leapfrog Atletico Madrid, who had gone top in the standing on goal difference following their 3-2 win against Levante on Saturday, Pedro was right on cue and Barca were 3-2 up by half-time.

Pedro Scored a Hat-Trick and Provided Fabregas' First Goal in Barca's 5-2 Win at Getafe.
Pedro Scored a Hat-Trick and Provided Fabregas’ First Goal in Barca’s 5-2 Win at Getafe.

The winger smartly met a Fabregas pinpoint pass before chipping past the onrushing Getafe goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya into the net in the 34th minute.

He then cut in from the left flank to curl an unstoppable shot into Moya’s top corner from the edge of the area and, just two minutes later, collected Jordi Alba’s cutback to calmly slot in his third.

Barcelona dominated most of the second-half despite their eighth-placed opponents trying to stage their own comeback.

They increased their lead eight minutes after the hour mark when Sergio Busquet broke on the counter, found Pedro, whose right-wing cross was volleyed in by Fabregas.

Fabregas completed his brace from the penalty spot after Pedro was clipped by Getafe midfielder Borja Fernandez in the 72nd minute.