Sevilla 0 - Barcelona 4

Sevilla: Esteban; Sergio Ramos (Jesús Navas 60'), Aitor Ocio (Antonio Puerta 72'), Pablo Alfaro, David; Martí, Renato; Daniel Alves, Baptista, Adriano (Carlitos 63'); Antoñito. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Belletti (Albertini 46'), Oleguer, Puyol, Sylvinho; Xavi, Márquez, Deco; Giuly (Iniesta 77'), Eto'o, Ronaldinho (Gerard 86'). 4-3-3.

Team changes: Sevilla: Aitor Ocio, Pablo Alfaro, Baptista, Adriano for Javi Navarro, Pablo Ruiz, Antonio Puerta, Aranda / Barcelona: Sylvinho for Van Bronckhorst.

Goals:
0-1. 49. Eto'o. Ran on to Ronaldinho through ball and rounded keeper to score.
0-2. 56. Baptista (own goal). Headed into own net after Márquez flicked on corner.
0-3. 59. Ronaldinho. Placed ball wide of keeper after Giuly shot blocked.
0-4. 74. Giuly. Controlled Xavi pass and fired angled shot under Esteban.

Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table to ten points pending Sunday's games after defeating fourth placed Sevilla 0-4. There were no goals in the first 45 minutes, although there was a lot of action from two sides who are currently on top form. Ronaldinho had two headers from successive Xavi corners cleared off the line in a minute, the first by Esteban and then by David, and new signing Adriano grazed the crossbar with a shot at the other end seconds later. And referee Turienzo Alvarez upset the local fans turning down three penalty appeals either side of half time for possible fouls by Deco and Puyol on Antoñito and Sergio Ramos respectively, and worse of all for a hand ball by Belletti just before the break which was clear to all.

The Brazilian full back appeared to be carrying an injury though, and Rijkaard replaced him with new signing Albertini at the interval. And within a quarter of an hour Barcelona were three up, Eto'o starting things off when he ran on to Ronaldinho's through ball to round Esteban and roll the ball into the netahead of two desperate defenders. Sergio Ramos had to leave the field with an injury, and before Caparrós decided to replace him the visitors scored two more, Baptista heading into his own net after Márquez flicked on Xavi's corner, and Ronaldinho finishing off neatly after Giuly shot was blocked by the defence.

Sevilla's bad luck continued when Aitor Ocio was carried off semi-conscious after clashing heads with Ronaldinho, and a couple of minutes later Giuly burst through on the right to fire a fourth goal past Esteban, who had only let in four goals all season up to the start of this game. Baptista went close to pulling one back a few minutes later when he headed over the top, but Eto'o could have made it five when he hit the bar near the end. A convincing result against a side who had not lost at home this season, and the Catalans are a step further to winning their first title in the new millennium.