Spanish leader Barcelona beat Valladolid 3-0 on Saturday to finish
the first half of the league season unbeaten, opening up an
eight-point advantage over Real Madrid.
Xavi Hernandez and Daniel Alves scored for the defending
champion in the first half and Lionel Messi added the third as
Barcelona comfortably won its third game in a row - having
outscored opponents 12-0 during that span.
Alves was behind many of Barcelona's best attacks down the
right flank and sent a perfect cross into the area that found the
unmarked Xavi, who volleyed in the opening goal in the 20th minute.
Two minutes later, Alves was played clear down the right and
curled a right-footed shot from outside the area over goalkeeper
Justo Villar inside the far post. Messi then scored his
league-leading 15th goal in the 56 after a pass from Zlatan
Ibrahimovic.
Barcelona has won 15 games and drawn four for 49 points.
Madrid has 41, Valencia is on 38 while Sevilla joined Mallorca with
33 points following a 1-0 win over Almeria earlier Saturday.
Madrid can narrow the gap back to five points on Sunday when
it plays Malaga.
Athletic, Espanyol, Madrid and Real Sociedad also finished
the first half of the season unbeaten. It was Barcelona's second
highest point total after 19 games - one less than the Spanish
champions had at the same point last year.
It was Barcelona's first game since coach Pep Guardiola
agreed to a one-year contract extension, but the defending
champions faced early pressure from the host. Barcelona then
started creating chances, with Messi's hard shot in the 11th minute
saved by Villar.
Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes saved from Diego Castro in
the 18th and kept out Borja Fernandez's hard free kick in the 43rd.
Messi nearly scored again in the 64th but fired wide, and
Villar then saved from Ibrahimovic.
Meanwhile, a lucky goal on a water-logged pitch was enough
for Sevilla to end a four-game league losing streak.
Defender Santiago Acasiete attempted a pass to goalkeeper
Diego Alves deep inside the Almeria area in the ninth minute but
the ball slowed to a halt on the soaked field, allowing Renato to
pounce on it and center to Negredo for an easy tap into the empty
goal.
Sevilla eliminated defending champion Barcelona in the Copa
del Rey this month but was on its worst streak in more than a
decade in the league.
Sevilla was without striker Frederic Kanoute but played with
more tenacity and verve than in recent weeks. Negredo was behind
most of the best chances, including a low shot that rolled wide of
the post in the 34th.
Almeria had several chances to equalize but struggled with
poor finishing, as goalkeeper Andres Palop saved Henok Goitom's
effort in the 19th and Fernando Soriano's in the 69th.
"We were efficient" Negredo said. "They also had occasions
but they just didn't take advantage."
Later Saturday, Deportivo La Coruna played Athletic Bilbao.
In Sunday's other games to cap the first half of the season,
it's: Tenerife vs. Valencia; Sporting Gijon vs. Racing Santander;
Villarreal vs. Zaragoza; Xerez vs. Osasuna; Espanyol vs. Mallorca;
and Getafe vs. Atletico Madrid.
