Three early goals from Alba, Tello and Messi and Barcelona were cruising against Deportivo but a Pizzi penalty and a strike from Bergantiños put the home side back in the game.
Messi then grabbed his second of the night to restore the two goal cushion but Pizzi then scored his second of the night from a free kick.
Mascherano then got himself ordered back to the dressing room for a second bookable offence and Barcelona were forced to play most of the second half with ten men. Messi completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute but Jordi Alba managed to lob the ball into his own net just one minute later to make it 4-5, and that’s the way it stayed until the end.
Barcelona are now three points clear of Atletico Madrid who play on Sunday, with Malaga in third.