Madrid: Barcelona edged closer to the Spanish title with a 3-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna at the league leader's Camp Nou Stadium on Wednesday.
Barcelona now has 83 points, while second-place Real Madrid is on 77 before its match against Almeria on Thursday. Valencia is third on 56 with Mallorca fourth, four points behind.
Barcelona's 19-year-old striker Bojan Krkic opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he collected a precise Xavi Hernandez pass in the penalty area and fired home.
The Catalan team pushed forward with several fast-paced attacks as the second half began, with Lionel Messi shooting just over the bar and Pedro Rodriguez sending a shot just wide minutes later.
Barcelona's second goal arrived in the 68th minute when goalkeeper Victor Valdes made a clearance which Rodriguez controlled in midfield before firing a long-range shot over Deportivo's defence and past stranded goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia.
Midfielder Yaya Toure completed the scoring when he chested the ball down and spun to smash a right-footed shot with such force that Aranzubia could only deflect it into the top of the net in the 72nd minute.
In Wednesday's other games, Walter Pandiani scored twice to give Osasuna a 2-2 draw with Malaga while Xerez won 2-1 against Atletico Madrid, Racing Santander beat 10-man Espanyol 3-1 and Zaragoza drew 1-1 with Mallorca.
Pandiani opened the scoring for Osasuna when he volleyed home in the 10th minute after Javier Camunas provided a chest-high cross.
Malaga equalized in the 31st minute when Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez tried to make a clearance but the ball hit his defender Jose Urtasun in the back before falling at the feet of Salvador Caicedo, who scored with an open goal.
Pandiani hit Osasuna's second in the 48th minute after controlling the ball and timing his shot to wrong-foot goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.
However, Malaga midfielder Nabil Baha rose to send in a powerful header which Lopez was able to parry, only for Baha to pounce on the loose ball to make it 2-2 in the 76th minute.
Xerez striker Mario Bermejo gave his side the lead when he leapt to head a long ball over goalkeeper David de Gea Quintana's head in the ninth minute.
Atletico's Diego Forlan hit a powerful right-footed shot just below the crossbar from outside the penalty area to level in the 12th minute.
But Emiliano Armenteros scored Xerez's winner and his second goal of the season in the 72nd minute.
Mallorca settled for a draw despite defender Ruben Rocha rising to head home a cross from Borja Valero in the 15th minute.
Zaragoza's Chile striker Humberto Suazo beat Mallorca's Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate with a skilful lob in the 22nd minute to equalize.
Espanyol made a good start to its game when striker Ivan Alonso scored his fifth goal of the season in the 32nd minute.
But Santander's Mohamed Tchite converted a penalty in the 36th minute and Espanyol's Cameroon goalkeeper Idriss Kameni was sent off at the start of the second half after fouling Pedro Munitis in the area without making contact with the ball.
Santander captain Munitis was stretchered off the pitch with a left knee injury, while Kameni will be suspended for this weekend's game against Barcelona as a result.
Tchite scored from the resulting penalty and Manuel Arana made it three for Santander in injury time.
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