Messi brace helps Barca keep pace
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lionel Messi continued his tremendous 0 win at Racing on Sunday.
Real Madrid extended its lead atop the table with a 3-2 defeat of Real Betis on Saturday, but Barcelona closed the gap back down to 10 points with its win at the Estadio El Sardinero.
Andres Iniesta nearly put the Catalans in front in the first half, but his beautiful chip shot skimmed the top of the crossbar and sailed out of play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It wasn't long after that close call that Messi handed the visitors the win as the Argentine grabbed his first goal of the game in the 29th minute. Messi darted into the box to get on the end of a centering pass from Cesc Fabregas and slid in to poke the ball past Mario Fernandez into the back of the net.
Messi doubled Barcelona's lead in the 56th minute from the penalty spot. The Catalans were granted a penalty kick after Fabregas went down softly off of minimal contact from Racing's Domingo Cisma, and the Argentine made no mistake from the spot as he sent Fernandez the wrong way to nab his 30th goal of the La Liga season.
Barcelona has won four straight in La Liga play to stay 10 points off the pace of Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola's men sit second in the league on 60 points.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Racing remains in the relegation zone on 24 points, suffering two straight defeats in the process.
Espanyol 5, Rayo Vallecano 1
Barcelona, Spain - Espanyol improved its odds of finishing fourth in La Liga as it crushed Rayo Vallecano, 5-1, at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kalu Uche and Phillippe Coutinho both netted first-half braces to see Espanyol take a four-goal lead by halftime. Raul Tamudo pulled a goal back for Rayo in the 54th minute, but Espanyol answered back as Uche completed his hat trick with another goal in the 69th minute.
Espanyol entered the match with just two points from its last five matches, but Sunday's win sees the club jump two points ahead of Rayo Vallecano into eighth place on 36 points.
Atletico Madrid 2, Granada 0
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Madrid, Spain - Atletico Madrid grabbed goals on opposite sides of halftime to claim a 2-0 win over 10-man Granada at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.
Miranda put the home side in front in the 39th minute, volleying home a header from Diego Godin. After Henrique was sent off for Granada in the 83rd minute, Falcao secured the win late on as he converted a cross from Juanfran.
Atletico climbs to seventh place with 36 points on the year, four points clear of fourth place. Granada remains four points clear of the relegation zone despite dropping its third successive league match.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Valencia 2, Mallorca 2
Valencia, Spain - Valencia let a two-goal lead slip away as it was held to a 2-2 draw with Mallorca at the Mestalla on Sunday.
Tino Costa and Aritz Aduriz gave the home side a comfortable lead by halftime, but it was squandered in the second half as Emilio Nsue and Victor leveled the score with goals nine minutes apart.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Valencia's lead in third place dwindles to just four points after Malaga's defeat of Levante on Saturday. Mallorca has drawn two straight, sitting six points clear of the relegation zone.
Osasuna 2, Athletic Bilbao 1
Navarra, Spain - Osasuna jumped up to sixth place in La Liga with an impressive 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Reyno de Navarra on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The home side was gifted the lead in the ninth minute with an own goal from Ander Iturraspe, while Raul Garcia extended the advantage in the 31st minute. Fernando Llorente continued his standout season with his 13th goal of the campaign to cut the deficit in half, but Bilbao was unable to conjure an equalizer.
Bilbao occupies seventh place with 37 points, one point shy of Osasuna in sixth.