BARCELONA: Barcelona underlined their Spanish title credentials on Saturday with a 6-1 thrashing of Atletico Madrid who never recovered from conceding three goals in a breath taking first ten minutes.

If the game was billed as Lionel Messi against Sergio Aguero then there was only one winner, but it wasn’t just Messi who split Atletico open at the Nou Camp. Rafa Marquez sent Barca on their way with a flicked header from a corner after three minutes and then Samuel Eto’o scored the first of his brace.

Quick thinking at a free-kick allowed Messi to place the ball into an empty net as goal keeper Gregory Coupet was still constructing the wall as the avalanche continued. Maxi Rodriguez offered some relief after 13 minutes with a well taken shot for Atletico but Barca then scored two more before half-time from Eto’o and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

In the second half, with the game won, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola made several substitutions and Thierry Henry came off the bench to score perhaps the best strike of the game with a well-worked goal.

Two goals in two minutes saw Villarreal come from behind against struggling Real Betis for a win which sees them overtake Valencia at the top of the table. Villarreal had been unbeaten at home for ten months but with Betis the last team to win at El Madrigal, Paco Chaparro’s side were confident of springing a surprise.

Betis, who have failed to win this season, went ahead after 20 minutes through former Barcelona defender Damia Abella. But they struggled to maintain their rhythm and Gonzalo Prado equalised for the home side with a flicked header from a free-kick, after 69 minutes.

Substitute Robert Pires then miscued a shot from the left of the area, but it fortuitously found Joseba Llorente who was left with the simple task of scoring from close range.

Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini felt tiredness from their Champions League campaign was the reason why his side was not playing at their best.

Under Unai Emery this season, Valencia have rediscovered their solidity in defence while, going forward, Joaquin Sanchez is showing again the skills which alerted the top sides in Europe when he was at Real Betis.

Real Madrid are also just a point behind after going on a seven match winning streak and with Ruud van Nistelrooy at his lethal best, they will be confident of brushing aside the threat of Espanyol, who have lost their last two games.

At the bottom of the table Sporting Gijon, still without any points, travel to Mallorca buoyed by a good performance against Villarreal last weekend when they were unlucky to have lost.

Racing Santander, one place above them, travel to Osasuna, and both sides will be looking for their first win of the season.