Barcelona cranked up the pressure on Real Madrid by moving seven points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday after sweeping aside Racing Santander 3-0 at the Nou Camp.
Pedro, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta scored the goals that that earned Barca a 14th consecutive league victory, equalling the previous club record set under Frank Rijkaard when they won a La Liga and Champions League double in the 2005-6 season.
The champions moved on to 55 points from 20 games while second-placed Real, who drew in Almeria last weekend, host Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Valencia climbed to third on 40 points after Aritz Aduriz grabbed a last-minute goal to earn his side a thrilling 4-3 comeback win at home to nine-man Malaga. Earlier, Luis Fabiano's hat-trick fired Sevilla to a 4-1 win over Levante that put them seventh with 29 points. Racing were chasing the game from the second minute after Messi combined with Iniesta in the area and lifted the ball over the diving Tono, for Pedro to chest the ball into the net. Barcelona created numerous openings before forward David Villa was brought down for a penalty in the 33rd minute of the match, which Lionel Messi converted, and Iniesta sealed the points with a deflected shot in the 56th.
Nothing decided
Racing, who are in the process of being bought out by Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, forced Victor Valdes into a couple of fine saves in the first half but otherwise offered little. Barca coach Pep Guardiola was unwilling to make title predictions and said Real would take the race to the end of the season. "Against a rival like Real Madrid nothing is ever decided until the very end," he told reporters. "Tomorrow they will be four points behind us again because they have the best coach in the world and a very good team."
Nothing decided
Racing, who are in the process of being bought out by Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, forced Victor Valdes into a couple of fine saves in the first half but otherwise offered little. Barca coach Pep Guardiola was unwilling to make title predictions and said Real would take the race to the end of the season. "Against a rival like Real Madrid nothing is ever decided until the very end," he told reporters. "Tomorrow they will be four points behind us again because they have the best coach in the world and a very good team."