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Top three all win in Spain

Xinhua, March 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona maintained their eight point lead at the top of the BBVA Primera Liga season on Sunday thanks to a 4-0 win away to Eibar.

The bad weather in the Basque region and the compact pitch at Eibar' s Ipurua Stadium could have caused Barca, who were without the suspended Neymar, problems, but Luis Enrique' s side produced a textbook display with Neymar' s substitute, Munir opening the scoring.

Messi doubled the lead before the break with a solo goal and sealed the win with a penalty 15 minutes from time, before Luis Suarez' s first goal in four games put the icing on the cake with six minutes left to play.

Atletico Madrid remain eight points behind after a 3-1 win away to Valencia. Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring for the visitors in the 24th minute, but in a tight game, Denis Cheryshev leveled for Valencia just four minutes later.

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Fernando Torres celebrated his 300th appearance for Atletico with a far post finish with 18 minutes left and after Adelan Santos' red card left Valencia with 10 men, Yannick Carrasco confirmed the win five minutes later.

Athletic Club Bilbao won 2-0 away to Sporting Gijon to move into sixth place thanks to goals from Benat and Oscar de Marcos. Athletic held on with ease despite a refereeing error which saw Aymeric Laporte sent off.

Deyverson' s ninth goal of the season gave bottom of the table Levante a 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad, who had scored first through Diego Reyes.

Betis took a big step towards safety when they won a niggly game 2-0 at home to Granada on Sunday lunchtime.

The home side played for 35 minutes with 10 men after Vargas was sent off but opened the scoring with a powerful Alfred N' Diaye header, before Ruben Castro sealed the win with a free kick in the last kick of the game.

On Saturday Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo returned to form as the Portuguese striker hit four goals in his side' s 7-1 demolition of a disappointing Celta Vigo..

The game was 0-0 until the 40th minute when Pepe put Madrid ahead with a header, but Celta fell apart in the second half. Ronaldo netted two spectacular goals, while Jese and a fit-again Gareth Bale scored the others and Iago Aspes netted a consolation for the visitors.

Fourth place Villarreal suffered a surprise home defeat to Las Palmas, who earned three vital points in their battle against relegation thanks to a solitary goal from David Garcia.

Sevilla still have to win away this season, despite taking the lead away to Getafe, who went into the game on the back of seven consecutive defeats.

Ever Banega' s 79th minute goal looked as if it would end Sevilla' s run and extend Getafe' s, but Velazquez' s late equalizer game Getafe an important point and perhaps saved coach Fran Escriba' s job.

Finally Deportivo la Coruna have still to win in 2016, despite looking on course when Lucas Perez gave them an 80th minute lead at home to Malaga. However an own goal from Arribas in the last minute denied Deportivo all three points in a thrilling 3-3 draw in which they had twice come back from behind. Endit