Barcelona moved seven points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday after beating Racing Santander 3-0 for their 14th successive league victory.
Pedro, Lionel Messi from the penalty spot and Andres Iniesta scored the goals at the Nou Camp that left the champions with 55 points from 20 games. Real Madrid are second with 48 and host Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Earlier, Luis Fabiano’s hat-trick fired Sevilla to a 4-1 win over struggling Levante and up to seventh place 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.
Barca created numerous openings until David Villa was brought down for a penalty in the 33rd minute, which Messi scored, and Iniesta sealed the points with a deflected shot in the 56th.
Racing, who have just been bought by Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, forced Victor Valdes into a couple of fine saves in the first half but otherwise offered little.
In Seville, Brazil striker Luis Fabiano, nicknamed the Fabulous One, scored with a header, a penalty, and a shot from the edge of the area to take Sevilla to within a point of the European qualification slots.
Fabiano guided a majestic header into the top corner from a Jesus Navas cross in the 28th minute, and Julien Escude doubled Sevilla’s lead with a header from a corner in the 39th.
The hosts went in 3-0 up at the break when Fabiano netted from the penalty spot.
Levante pulled one back through Xisco Munoz early in the second half, but Fabiano struck again in the 68th, carving an opening himself and curling a shot low into the corner to take his tally for the season to eight.
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