Radamel Falcao beat two Real Madrid players before setting up Costa, although Falcao -- one of the most coveted strikers in the world -- otherwise had a quiet evening.

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United have reportedly been linked with moves for Borussia Dortmund's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Atletico Madrid's prolific forward Radamel Falcao.

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Messi, who scored a world record 91 goals in 2012, is now 10 clear of Atletico's Radamel Falcao in the La Liga scoring charts.

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