Sport

Messi on the double as Barcelona stay clear

LIONEL MESSI scored twice as leaders Barcelona overcame Numancia 4-1 at the Camp Nou to briefly go 15 points clear at the top…

Mon Jan 26 2009 - 00:00

LIONEL MESSI scored twice as leaders Barcelona overcame Numancia 4-1 at the Camp Nou to briefly go 15 points clear at the top of the Primera Liga on Saturday night.

Modest Numancia are the only team to have beaten Barcelona in the league, winning 1-0 at home on the opening day of the season, and they made life difficult for their hosts early on.

But Messi, twice, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry all scored after the break as Pep Guardiola’s side stepped up a gear, and they moved on to 53 points from 20 games.

Jose Barkero’s blistering freekick for the visitors had made it 2-1 after 61 minutes.

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Real Madrid closed the gap to 12 points last night when Raul’s goal after 40 minutes was enough to beat Deportivo Coruna 1-0.

Sevilla and Valencia failed to keep the pressure on Barcelona and Real Madrid as both slumped to defeats yesterday.

Sevilla were beaten 2-0 at home by Racing Santander, who played for nearly an hour with 10 men, and Valencia were surprised 3-1 away by struggling Real Mallorca.

Fourth-placed Valencia have 34 points and are ahead of Villarreal on goal difference, after Manuel Pellegrini’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Osasuna on Saturday. Atletico Madrid are sixth with 32 points after failing to make the most of Valencia’s slip-up, drawing 1-1 at seventh-placed Malaga.

Racing’s towering Serbian striker Nikola Zigic did the damage at the Sanchez Pizjuan, despite his team-mate Oscar Serrano getting sent off in the 32nd minute. Zigic’s header at a freekick in the 24th minute was saved only for Cesar Navas to put away the rebound, and he muscled his way through to poke in Pedro Munitis’s low free-kick just after the restart.

Earlier, Mallorca dragged themselves off the foot of the table with a comprehensive demolition of Champions League hopefuls Valencia. Mallorca, who last won a league game at the end of October, were inspired by midfielder Jurado who scored the opener, won the penalty for the second which Jose Luis Marti scored, and bagged the third just before the break. Vicente pulled one back for the visitors but Mallorca were always the better side and they climbed to 18th.

Osasuna came back to draw 1-1 at Villarreal with a spirited performance. The visitors were rewarded for their ambition when substitute Dady scored from close range in the 65th minute, cancelling out Giuseppe Rossi’s stylish first-half opener.