MADRID - Barcelona demolished Malaga 6-0 at the Nou Camp
with an irresistible display of attacking football that
re-established their six-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga
on Sunday.
Samuel Eto'o scored twice, taking his league tally for the
season to 25, while Xavi, Thierry Henry, Daniel Alves and Lionel
Messi weighed in with one apiece against their overly cautious
visitors.
The leaders have 69 points with 10 matches left to play, six
ahead of chasing Real Madrid, who were earlier led
to a 3-0 victory at home to Almeria by two-goal
Klaas Jan Huntelaar.
Barca midfielder Xavi burst through on to Eto'o's pass to open
the scoring after 19 minutes and Messi beat three men with a dash
off the right flank to net high at the near post in the 25th.
Xavi fed Henry to round the goalkeeper and then Eto'o to make it
4-0 before the break but the hosts did not ease off.
Andres Iniesta floated a pass into the area for Alves to loop a
header over a stranded Inaki Goitia in the 51st and, soon after,
Henry unselfishly squared for Eto'o to grab his second.
Malaga, the season's surprise package, could have suffered an
even heavier defeat.
"We can still do better," Barca coach Pep Guardiola said. "We
played a good first half and first 15 minutes of the second...but I
am convinced we can maintain this level for the full 90
minutes."
At the Bernabeu, Marcelo opened the scoring for Real with a
thunderous strike after 24 minutes but his team failed to spark
until after the break.
Dutchman Huntelaar volleyed a poor defensive clearance high into
the net after 53 minutes, and sealed the side's 12th league win in
13 from a loose ball, after Arjen Robben's run and shot was
blocked.
VALENCIA WIN
Sevilla are third with 54 points and Villarreal fourth with 48
after both won their home matches on Saturday.
Ten-man Valencia won their first game since the
beginning of February when Juan Mata netted late on for a 1-0
victory at Racing Santander.
Unai Emery's side had had defender Alexis sent off at the start
of the second half and survived a last-minute penalty from Racing
which Oscar Serrano blasted against the crossbar.
Valencia are sixth with 43 points behind Atletico Madrid on goal
difference. Atletico lost 2-0 at struggling
Real Mallorca in Sunday's late game.
At the foot of the table, Javad Nekounam's last-minute header
gave Osasuna a 1-0 home win over
Espanyol but they remain one point short of safety
in 18th with 29 points, ahead of Numancia on 26 and Espanyol on
22.