Lionel Messi’s astonishing recent goal glut continued on Sunday when he struck twice in a 2-0 win for Barcelona at struggling Racing Santander that trimmed Real Madrid’s lead at the top of La Liga back to 10 points.
The Argentine World Player of the Year took his tally to 13 goals in his last five games for Barca, including a record five in Wednesday’s Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.
Real had to come from a goal down to beat Real Betis 3-2 in Seville on Saturday when Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and they set a club record of 10 successive wins on the road in coach Jose Mourinho’s 100th game in charge.
With 12 matches left, Real have 70 points with Spanish, European and world champions Barca on 60. Third-placed Valencia dropped further behind on 44 after letting slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Real Mallorca earlier on Sunday.
«We had to put in a lot of effort,» Barca coach Pep Guardiola told a news conference.
«We did things well on a pitch that did not help the circulation of the ball,» he added, in a reference to the poor state of the playing surface. «They put nine men behind the ball and that is never easy.»
Messi put Barca ahead in the 29th minute at the Sardinero when he slid in to turn a Cesc Fabregas centre into the net from close range.
He doubled the lead with a 56th-minute penalty following a foul on Fabregas, his 30th goal of the campaign in the league, leaving him two behind top scorer Ronaldo, and his 50th in all competitions this season.
Winger Isaac Cuenca went close to a third, striking a powerful shot that cannoned back off a post, before Santander goalkeeper Mario Fernandez denied Messi a hat-trick with a fine save from the 24-year-old’s rasping drive.
The match was a baptism of fire for Alvaro Cervera, who was appointed as Santander’s third coach this season on Friday, and the defeat left the club in 18th place on 24 points, three behind Villarreal, who host Getafe on Monday.
Atletico Madrid and Espanyol climbed to seventh and eighth respectively after home wins against Granada and Rayo Vallecano earlier on Sunday.
Defender Miranda and striker Radamel Falcao scored in a 2-0 win for Atletico, while Nigerian forward Kalu Uche grabbed a hat-trick in Espanyol’s 5-1 drubbing of Rayo.
In a congested middle section of the table, there are only 10 points separating Malaga in fourth from Betis in 14th, with Levante, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico, Espanyol, Osasuna, Rayo, Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Real Mallorca in between.
Osasuna host neighbours Bilbao in Sunday’s late kickoff.
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