Barcelona 3 - Real Madrid 0

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Belletti (Damià 73'), Oleguer, Puyol, Gio Van Bronckhorst; Xavi (Sylvinho 87'), Márquez, Deco; Larsson (Iniesta 72'), Eto'o, Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.
Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Pavón, Samuel, Roberto Carlos; Beckham (Owen 54'), Guti; Figo, Raúl (Solari 83'), Zidane (Celades 79'); Ronaldo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Belletti, Larsson for Damià, Giuly / Madrid: Pavón for Mejía.

Goals:
1-0. 29. Eto'o. Nipped between Roberto Carlos and Casillas and ran ball into net.
2-0. 43. Van Bronckhorst. Picked up pass from Deco and hit shot under Casillas.
3-0. 76. Ronaldinho (penalty). After Eto'o sandwiched by Samuel and Guti.

Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the first division to seven points after a resounding 3-0 win over their arch-rivals Real Madrid on Saturday evening. As usual there was a massive build up to the game, with Madrid's thrashing of Albacete and Barça's defeat at Betis the weekend before casting doubt on the Catalans dominance of the league so far.

But Frank Rijkaard's side were in command right from the start, and could have scored a couple of times early on, Eto'o heading wide from Ronaldinho's cross and then almost scoring with a back-heel flick, Roberto Carlos clearing off the line with Casillas beaten.

Madrid did have a couple of chances themselves though, Zidane shooting wide and Puyol cutting out a dangerous cross from Guti, and Figo was starting to find some space down the right wing. But a terrible mistake by Roberto Carlos and Casillas gifted the first goal to their opponents, Eto'o nipping in between the two as they left the ball to each other to score into an empty net.

By now Barça were well on top, with Larsson having a penalty appeal turned down after he was tackled by Samuel in the area and Ronaldinho shooting just over the bar. And two minutes before the break they scored a second in a well worked team move, Deco making the last pass to Van Bronckhorst for him to drill a shot underneath Casillas.

The visitors did could have pulled one back after the break, Zidane sending a dipping shot wide of the post and Michael Owen coming on for Beckham and heading Figo's cross just over the bar almost immediately. But it was just a brief interlude, and Casillas had to be at his best to turn Ronaldinho's long shot for a corner.

A few minutes later Deco bent a free kick wide, and Larsson headed past the post from Belletti's cross. The Swedish striker twisted his knee though in another attack soon afterwards, and was stretchered off with an injury which is likely to keep him out for several months.

Four minutes later though the Catalans got a third goal, a long run by Eto'o ended with him being flattened in the penalty area between Samuel and Guti. Ronaldingo stepped up to curl home the spot kick, and the match was virtually over. It was a convincing win for Rijkaard's men, and it is difficult to see who can stop them from winning their first league title of the new millennium. .