Pressure on Real as Barcelona go nine clear

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said the pressure was now on Real Madrid after his side beat Recreativo Huelva 2-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday to open up a nine-point gap at the Spanish League summit.

Barcelona followed up their 4-0 Champions League mauling of Bayern Munich with a hard-fought victory with Spanish international Andres Iniesta scoring the opener after just 46 seconds and an own goal from Nasief Morris clinching the three points.

“Now it’s Real’s turn to win,” said Guardiola. “We have played our part and got the job done.

“It was hard for us but things are not always easy in football. There are eight games left and we are closer (to the title).”

Champions Real host Valladolid, who beat them 1-0 earlier in the season, on Sunday as they try to close back to within six points of Barcelona whose next game is the second leg of their European quarter-final against Bayern on Tuesday.

But Guardiola warned his side not to get complacent saying Bayern had the firepower to hurt his team.

“Bayern are capable of scoring four goals,” said Guardiola. “(Franck) Ribery, (Luca) Toni, (Bastian) Schweinsteiger and company are dangerous players.

“I didn’t have to see them score four goals today (Bayern beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0) to know that.”

Guardiola rested first teamers Carles Puyol, Xavi and Samuel Eto’o against Recreativo to give them a breather in the season run-in.

Uruguayan Martin Caceres started in defence against his old club while Bojan Krkic replaced Eto’o in attack.

After watching Barcelona smash four goals past Bayern in the first half in midweek, Huelva, third from bottom, would have wanted to keep things tight but it didn’t work out that way.

Thierry Henry used his pace to get in behind the defence and his cut back was slotted in by Iniesta with just 46 seconds gone.

Victor Valdes was then called upon to make a great save to foil Sebastian Nayar in the sixth minute.

Barcelona were controlling proceedings and Lionel Messi thought he had doubled the lead minutes before the interval only for Morris to block his goalbound shot.

An own goal provided Barcelona with the second goal they craved as the sliding Morris diverted Iniesta’s cross into his own net.

Lionel Messi missed a penalty late on but it proved irrelevant.

Barcelona’s dazzling displays have certainly cast a shadow over Real this season but their coach Juande Ramos insists their rivals are not the perfect team as some people are claiming.

“I am not envious of Barcelona,” said Ramos. “They are not perfect. No team is perfect and I am sure Pep Guardiola would tell you the same.

“Barcelona have weaknesses like every team does. But they have more strengths than weaknesses and that is why they win matches so convincingly.”

Real have won 13 out of their 15 league games under Ramos but are running out of time to overhaul the leaders.

Later on Saturday, Villarreal entertain Malaga trying to forget their upcoming Champions League quarter-final second leg at Arsenal on Wednesday and concentrate on qualifying for next season’s competition.

Villarreal are two points ahead of fifth-placed Valencia and need to bounce back after a shock 3-0 defeat at Almeria last time out.

Villarreal and Arsenal drew 1-1 in the first leg at El Madrigal.