Barcelona top for Christmas after derby demolition

Champions Barcelona will sit top of the Spanish first division for the Christmas break after notching a tenth successive league victory with a resounding 5-1 win over city rivals Espanyol at the Cornella-El Prat stadium on Saturday.

Spanish World Cup winners Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa grabbed two goals apiece with compatriot Xavi Hernandez, one of three players shortlisted for the Ballon D’Or crown, netting the other as Barcelona triumphed in the Catalan derby, and opened up a five-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.

Barcelona signed off 2010 in the perfect fashion, ending Espanyol’s 100 percent home record emphatically with a 5-1 thrashing and putting pressure on Real to win their game-in-hand against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Real have won all seven of their home matches in the league while Sevilla’s confidence is rock bottom after four successive league defeats.

Espanyol had a perfect seven wins and were flying high in fourth, however, Barcelona turned in a mesmerising display making it a remarkable 26 goals in their last five league matches with a drubbing of their local rivals to maintain their flawless away record with an eighth win.

Barca should have scored in the eighth minute with Dani Alves setting up Lionel Messi, but the Argentine somehow fired over the goal to let Espanyol off the hook.

Messi made amends on 18 minutes by creating the opening goal with Pedro showing neat control to lay the ball off and Messi fed a incisive pass back into his team-mate’s path. Pedro raced clear and showed great composure to drill home.

The hosts were carved open again on 29 minutes as Barcelona released Xavi on the right. The playmaker watched as his centre ricocheted back to him and showed great technique to drive a volley into the opposite corner.

Barcelona made the running after the break and made it 3-0 close to the hour mark with Messi again the creator.

The Argentine dribbled at incredible speed to leave three opponents in his slipstream and goalkeeper Carlos Kameni spilled his shot which allowed the alert Pedro to prod in the rebound.

Pablo Osvaldo quickly pulled a goal back for the home side, but Villa registered his tenth and 11th league goals of the campaign on 75 and 83 minutes to cap a memorable win.

Earlier on Saturday Villarreal maintained their impressive unbeaten home record with a 3-1 win over Real Mallorca at El Madrigal to secure third place for the festive break.

Villarreal made it 23 points from a possible 25 at home and Juan Carlos Garrido’s side move five points clear of fourth-placed Espanyol.

Santi Cazorla struck on 11 minutes only for Jonathan de Guzman to equalise in the 27th minute. However, the hosts quickly restored their lead through a Giuseppe Rossi penalty on 35 minutes.

Brazilian international forward Nilmar went into double figures with his tenth league goal of the season on 51 minutes as Villarreal recorded their tenth league win of the campaign.

Valencia, paired with German club Schalke 04 in the last 16 of the Champions League, travel to promoted Real Sociedad later on Saturday aiming to close the three-point gap on Espanyol.

Elsewhere struggling Sporting Gijon salvaged a point with Diego Castro scoring an 89th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

Sporting will be happy with the point having not won in the league since mid-October and stay second from bottom of the table.