Barcelona 3 - Racing Santander 0

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Belletti, Oleguer, Puyol (Sylvinho 55'), Van Bronckhorst; Xavi, Márquez, Deco; Giuly (Iniesta 73'), Eto'o (Gerard 81'), Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.
Racing: Dudu Aouate; Oriol, Juanma, Moratón; Regragui, Torrado, Benayoun (Parri 78'), Anderson Silva (Morán 78'), Regueiro; Javi Guerrero, Aganzo (Arizmendi 60'). 3-5-2.

Team changes: Barcelona: Deco for Iniesta / Racing: Regragui, Aganzo for Pedro López, Parri.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Eto'o. Ran on to Xavi pass and shot thro' Aouate's legs from wide angle.
2-0. 74. Ronaldinho. Picked up loose ball on left and cut in to shoot across keeper.
3-0. 76. Deco. Shot from edge of area which ballooned off foot of Juanma.

Leaders Barcelona threw down the challenge to the chasing pack with a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander on Saturday night, and they move ten points clear of second placed Real Madrid pending their game on Sunday. The first chance of the night fell to the visitors though, Javi Guerrero shooting over the bar, but soon afterwards Eto'o fired the Catalans into the lead after Xavi put him through, his fifteenth goal in the league this season.

Barça continued to push forward for the rest of the first half, but were unable to take their chances. Aouate palmed out Xavi's shot and Ronaldinho failed to hit the target on the follow up, and Giuly wasted two or three more chances before the break. And the pressure continued after the restart, Moratón clearing an effort from Xavi off the line and the keeper did well to keep out a free kick from Ronaldinho.

By now though the locals were starting to run out of steam and Regueiro was causing some problems for their defence, feeling himself unlucky to be given offside when through, and then being tackled by Belletti on another occasion. But Ronaldinho settled it when he cut in from the left to beat Aouate with an angled shot, and just two minutes later Deco added a third with a strike which took a deflection off a defender.