Deportivo La Coruña 0 - Barcelona 1

Deportivo: Munúa; Scaloni, Coloccini, Andrade, Romero; Sergio (Fran 56'), Mauro Silva (Duscher 70'); Víctor, Valerón (Munitis 66'), Luque; Diego Tristán. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Belletti, Oleguer, Puyol, Sylvinho; Xavi, Márquez, Deco; Giuly (Gerard 55'), Eto'o (Maxi López 94'), Ronaldinho (Iniesta 68'). 4-3-3.

Team changes: Deportivo: Mauro Silva, Luque for Duscher, Munitis / Barcelona: No change.

Goals:
0-1. 10. Giuly. Got on end of Sylvinho mis-hit shot to fire ball past Munúa.

Barcelona moved another step closer to their first league title in six years after beating Deportivo La Coruña 0-1 on Saturday evening. Frank Rijkaard's side took the lead in the tenth minute after Munúa had parried a Márquez free kick, Sylvinho's follow up shot going wide before Giuly fired it into the net. Diego Tristán went close to equalising soon afterwards, shooting just wide on the turn, and Luque threaded Víctor Valdés's three game unbeaten record with a low free kick which the keeper did well to hold on to. But Deco could have increased the lead when Coloccini deflected his shot on to the crossbar, and Eto'o drove another effort just wide either side of half time.

Ten minutes in to the second half the Catalans were left with ten men when Márquez picked up a second booking for a foul on Valerón, but their lead never looked in danger. Valdés was on great form, saving at the feet of Luque and then blocking another effort from Tristán at point blank range. And Iniesta came on for Ronaldinho and produced a run which the Brazilian midfielder would have been proud of, Munúa just getting a hand to his final shot to push it over the bar. It was a display which was worth a league title against a side who still have a chance of making the Champions League spots, and they extend the gap over second placed Real Madrid to fourteen points pending their game on Sunday.