European roundup: Griezmann and Messi double up as Barça thrash Granada | Football

Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann each scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Granada 4-0 away on Saturday to win a third consecutive La Liga game for the first time this season.

Griezmann opened the scoring in the 12th minute while Messi struck twice before the break to make it four goals in his last two matches and go top of the league’s scoring charts with 11 goals.

French forward Griezmann scored a classy second goal after half-time while things got worse for Granada when Jesus Vallejo was sent off in the 78th minute for clattering into Barça substitute Martin Braithwaite.

The victory took Barca back into third place in the standings with 34 points, closing the gap with leaders Atlético Madrid to four points.

However, Atlético, whose game with Athletic Bilbao was postponed due to heavy snow in the Spanish capital, have three matches in hand.

Borussia Dortmund scored three times in the second half, twice through Erling Haaland and once through Jadon Sancho, to beat hosts RB Leipzig 3-1 on Saturday and close the gap to the top spots in the Bundesliga.

After a toothless first half Dortmund improved after the break, taking the lead when Haaland charged down the wing and Marco Reus flicked his cross on with his back heel for Sancho to fire in.

Haaland got onto the score sheet, headed in a Sancho cross at the far post after launching the move himself in the 72nd minute. And the Norway international grabbed a second goal six minutes from the end when he was sent through by Reus to round Peter Gulacsi before Leipzig scored in the 90th thanks to Alexander Sorloth.

Dortmund are fourth in the standings on 28 points, five off leaders Bayern Munich, who lost 3-2 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday. Leipzig, who suffered their first home loss of the season, are in second place on 31.