Barcelona 3 - Sporting Gijón 1

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Daniel Alves (Víctor Sánchez 87'), Martín Cáceres, Puyol (Sylvinho 68'), Abidal; Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta (Gudjohnsen 85'); Messi, Eto'o, Henry. 4-3-3.
Sporting: Lafuente; Sastre (José Angel 61'), Gerard, Iván Hernández, Raúl Cámara; Matabuena, Michel; Luis Morán, Carmelo (Kike Mateo 67'), Diego Castro (Bilic 61'); Barral. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Martín Cáceres, Puyol, Messi for Márquez, Piqué, Touré Yaya / Sporting: Raúl Cámara, Matabuena, Luis Morán, Barral for Canella, Camacho, Maldonado, Bilic.

Goals:
1-0. 23. Eto'o. Turned Henry's cross past Lafuente on quick breakaway.
2-0. 40. Eto'o. Picked up Messi pass and went on to shoot wide of keeper.
3-0. 65. Dani Alves. Won ball outside area and ran on to score with angled shot.
3-1. 68. Kike Mateo. Picked up loose ball on edge of area and shot low past Valdés.

Yellow cards: Gerard 10', Matabuena 37', Abidal 45', Henry 55', Michel 72'.

Barcelona maintained the twelve point gap over Real Madrid after beating Sporting Gijón 3-1 on Sunday. Lafuente had to tip a header from Henry over the bar before Eto'o opened the scoring on a quick breakaway midway through the first half. And the striker added a second shortly before half time, turning his defender before beating the keeper after Messi put him through.

Lafuente was in action again to save from Iniesta, Eto'o and Messi either side of half time, but he was beaten for a third time when Dani Alves battled through with a little help from Messi to fire a shot in to the roof of the net. Kike Mateo got one back three minutes later, picking up a loose clearance and drilling a low shot wide of Valdés just seconds after coming on as substitute. But Barça could have scored more after that, Eto'o in particular just missing out on his hat-trick after heading against the post later on.