Barcelona: Lionel Messi surpassed Pele’s milestone of goals in a calendar year by scoring for the 75th and 76th time in 2012 to move within nine of Gerd Mueller’s all-time record as Barcelona won 4-2 at Mallorca in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Xavi Hernandez unlocked Mallorca’s defense with a free kick in the 28th minute before Messi struck in the 44th minute, while Cristian Tello added a third a minute later at the Iberostar stadium.

After Mallorca netted twice early in the second half to breathe life into the match, Messi stepped up to score again in the 70th minutes to ensure victory as Barcelona rebounded from its loss at Celtic in the Champions League with its 10th win in 11 rounds.

“Leo’s records are spectacular,” said Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova. “Some few players reach these numbers in seven or eight seasons, he does it in one. And most of his goals are great goals.”

This is only the latest scoring feat for the Argentina forward, one of the leading candidates for the Ballon D’Or. Messi scored 73 goals in the 2011-12 season for Barcelona, breaking the previous European club record of 67 set by Mueller in 1972-73. He also set a Spanish league record of 50 goals last season and broke Cesar Rodriguez’s 57-year milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer.

Joaquin Caparros’ Mallorca had tried to follow Celtic’s defensive blueprint from Wednesday’s upset in Glasgow, but the strategy didn’t last even half an hour.

Xavi Hernandez took full advantage of a foul earned by Cesc Fabregas on the edge of the area, bending a beautiful free kick over the defensive barrier that turned goalkeeper Dudu Aouate into yet another spectator as the ball fell into his net.

“Both Xavi’s opener and Leo’s goal to make it 4-2 were the turning points to the match,” said Gerard Pique, who made his first start for Barcelona since injuring his foot in September.

Messi converted Barcelona’s 75 per cent of possession into a deserved second goal when the Argentina forward dribbled by several defenders and unleashed a left-foot shot that Aouate let slip through his hands.

Tello then quickly made it 3-0 when he curved a shot from outside the area into the far side of the goal.

But just when it appeared that Barcelona would cruise to a comfortable victory, two errors allowed Mallorca back into the game.

Mallorca’s Michael Pereira pulled one back in the 55th minute after Javier Mascherano lost the ball. Two minutes later, Victor Casadesus made it 3-2 from the penalty spot following Sergio Busquets’ handball in the box.

But Messi received a chested pass from Alexis Sanchez and smashed the ball into the top corner to restore Barcelona’s two-goal advantage and crush Mallorca’s hopes.

Messi’s seventh double of the season increased his league-leading tally to 15 goals, with 20 in all competitions this season.

Pele scored 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958 while Mueller had 85 in 1972 for West Germany and Bayern Munich.

Elsewhere, second-place Atletico Madrid stayed three points behind the pacesetters by easing past visiting Getafe 2-0 thanks to goals by Adrian Lopez and Arda Turan.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, needed a late goal from rarely used youngster Alvaro Morata to win 2-1 at Levante and remain eight points behind Barcelona in third place.

With strikers Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema injured, Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Madrid in the 21st minute after receiving a gash above his left eye in a collision with an opposing player. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said the Portuguese international was having trouble with his vision by halftime and had to be substituted.