Barcelona went six points clear at the top of the Spanish Primera Liga with a 3-0 win away to Sevilla on Saturday after second-placed Real Madrid lost 1-3 at Getafe.

Barca's Samuel Eto'o got a typical poacher's goal, bursting into the area to stab a loose ball high into the net after 20 minutes of a pulsating encounter at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute hit the bar just before halftime but there was precious little space for either side to operate. Barcelona dominated possession but Lionel Messi was closely marshalled until the 79th, when he raced on to a long ball and volleyed past Andres Palop.

The Argentine forward scampered after another long ball to round Palop for his second goal in the final minute by which time Sevilla was down to 10 men. Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano was sent off for elbowing in the 86th.

Barca moved on to 32 points from 13 games, six ahead of Real. Third-placed Villarreal, with 25 points, was at bottom club Recreativo Huelva yesterday.

Champion Real has only won once at the Coliseum and was always second best as Getafe built on last weekend's 1-1 draw in Barcelona.

Real was trailing from the third minute, when Jaime Gavilan's run and cross from the left was met by a powerful header from Uruguayan forward Juan Albin.

The host was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty just before the break but two minutes after the restart Albin broke away to surprise Iker Casillas by scoring at his near post.

Guti laid the ball on for Javier Saviola to pull a goal back after an error in the home defense in the 55th but Real's resistance did not last long.

Getafe pulled it apart on counter-attacks, and hit the woodwork twice, before Albin squared for Nigeria striker Ikechukwu Uche on the counter in the 82nd to end the visitors' faint hopes of a comeback.

Having started the day with seven first-team regulars out injured, Real was forced to make two first-half substitutions when Wesley Sneijder and Miguel Torres pulled up with injuries. Pepe also finished with a muscle problem.

(Shanghai Daily December 1, 2008)