Girona striker Artem Dovbyk scored a quick-fire, first-half hat-trick to help them to a 5-1 home win over Sevilla on Sunday as the hosts reclaimed top spot in La Liga.

Surprise package Girona sit alone at the summit with 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, who beat Almeria earlier on Sunday and have one game in hand. Sevilla remain 17th with 16 points, one clear of the relegation zone.

With the win, the Catalan side also set an all-time club points record for a top flight season. “We are very happy because we have achieved one of our goals, which was to reach 52 points, the first was to avoid relegation,” Girona coach Michel said.

“The third objective was to finish in the top three, now we have the target of reaching European competitions and step by step we will see if we can do it.”

The visitors took an early lead, courtesy of Isaac Romero’s goal after 10 minutes, but it was shortlived as Dovbyk’s towering header in the six-yard box from Savio’s cross made it 1-1 in the 13th minute.

Dovbyk put Girona ahead two minutes later from Portu’s pass after a break before the Ukraine international bagged his hat-trick in the 19th minute with a fine low shot for his 14th league goal this season.

Earlier, Barcelona secured a last-gasp 4-2 win at Real Betis, as stoppage-time goals from substitute Joao Felix and striker Ferran Torres, who completed his hat-trick, helped to ease the pressure on manager Xavi Hernandez.

After being thrashed by their bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and struggling in a comeback win over third-division side Unionistas to advance to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, Barca were once again up against it but managed to rescue a valuable win.