Madrid - Lionel Messi on Monday hailed Barcelona's dramatic 3-2 El Clasico victory over archrival Real Madrid as an "important step" in the race for the La Liga title.
Messi's last-gasp goal marked his 500th for Barcelona and blew the La Liga title race wide open at Real Madrid on Sunday.
Victory takes Barcelona top of the table thanks to a better head-to-head record with both sides locked on 75 points, but Madrid has a game in hand.
"We went to the Bernabeu to win and to continue to fight for La Liga," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said on his Facebook page.
"There is still a long way to go, but we left with the joy of having taken an important step," added Messi, the top scorer in La Liga with 31 goals, alongside a photo of himself celebrating one of his goals.
Barcelona is bidding for a third straight La Liga and Spanish Cup double. The club plays Alaves in the Copa del Rey final on May 27.