Messi, Ronaldo warm up for El Clasico

Posted Monday, January 28, 2013 by Foxsports.com

The world's two best players warmed up for the midweek El Clasico in style on Sunday.

Lionel Messi moved past 200 career goals in La Liga as he almost single-handedly destroyed Osasuna, Barcelona running out 5-1 winners at the Nou Camp.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo hit a second-half hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-0 home win over Getafe.

The pair will go head to head on Wednesday in the first leg of their Copa Del Rey semi-final at the Bernabeu.

On Sunday, they both had things very much their own way.

Messi scored twice in each half, his second a penalty, as runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona swept aside their 10-man opponents.

Pedro was also on target for the Catalans, while Raoul Loe briefly levelled for Osasuna before Alejandro Arribas' sending-off after 27 minutes made their task an almost impossible one.

Ronaldo's treble added to Sergio Ramos' opener for Madrid.

Barca's closest rivals Atletico Madrid slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao to leave the Catalans 11 points clear at the top of the table.

The win gave the hosts some measure of revenge for last season's Europa League final loss and came courtesy of three second-half efforts.

Athletic went in front within five minutes of the restart as Mikel San Jose nodded home from Markel Susaeta's corner.

Susaeta then finished the game as a contest with a neat finish from Ander Herrera's through-ball 13 minutes from time and Oscar de Marcos rounded off a fine night for the hosts when he stroked home Aritz Aduriz's cross at the end of a flowing counter-attack seven minutes later.

Malaga won 3-2 at Real Mallorca, despite playing the final 18 minutes with 10 men.

Early goals from Javier Saviola and Isco put Malaga in charge and Nacho Monreal restored the visiting side's two-goal lead in the second half after Victor Casadesus had pulled a goal back for the hosts.

Mallorca got another one back through Giovani dos Santos in the 71st minute, though, and their opponents lost Martin Demichelis to a red card 60 seconds later, but Malaga held on for the win.

Rayo Vallecano strengthened their European claims with a 3-0 win at home to Real Betis.

A fourth-minute penalty from Piti got the hosts off to a flying start and Andrija Delibasic doubled the lead, heading home Jose Casado's cross at the end of a wonderful team move midway through the second half.

Jose Carlos rounded off the scoring with a neat finish eight minutes from time.

On Saturday, Ricardo Costa's stoppage-time header decided a topsy-turvy encounter in Valencia's favour while Levante also needed a late goal to win on Saturday.

The match was at the Riazor was all-action from the outset, Jonas' looping header after just 31 seconds putting Los Che ahead before Riki's brace gave bottom club Deportivo la Coruna a half-time advantage.

Silvio's needless dismissal seven minutes after the restart changed the course of the game, though, as Nelson Valdez equalised and then Costa bagged a dramatic late winner - to lift Valencia to fifth - before Paulo Assuncao's red card rubbed further salt in the hosts' wounds.

There was also late drama at the Ciutat de Valencia, where Antonio Rukavina's stoppage-time own goal handed Levante a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph over Real Valladolid.

Javier Baraja had given the visitors an early lead with a sweetly struck volley but Levante equalised two minutes before half-time through Jose Barkero's fine curling free-kick.

Then, in added time, Valdo miscontrolled Obafemi Martins' pass but the loose ball struck Rukavina and deflected past the helpless Dani Hernandez and into the net.

Elsewhere in La Liga on Saturday, Real Sociedad stretched their impressive run to just one defeat in 11 league games but were unable to make their numerical advantage count as 10-man Celta Vigo held on for a 1-1 draw at Balaidos.

Michael Krohn-Dehli had given the hosts the lead with a wonderfully worked goal on 32 minutes but Celta were forced onto the back foot just after the break when Augusto Fernandez received a second yellow card for a handball.

Gorka Elustondo then brought Sociedad level with a powerful header from Gonzalo Castro's corner just before the hour mark, but the visitors failed to create many more clear-cut chances in the final half-hour and remained five points off the top four.

Finally, Espanyol continued their impressive revival under coach Javier Aguirre with a goalless draw at Real Zaragoza in a match of few clear-cut opportunities.

Both teams finished the match with 10 men as Espanyol's Javi Lopez and Cristian Sapunaru of Zaragoza were sent off in the closing stages.

The Monday night clash will see 16th-placed Granada travel to 12th-placed Sevilla.

Saturday's La Liga Results

Celta Vigo 1-1 Real Sociedad
Levante 2-1 Valladolid
Real Zaragoza 1-1 Espanyol
Deportivo La Coruna 2-3 Valencia

Sunday's La Liga Results

Real Madrid 4-0 Getafe
Rayo Vallecano 3-0 Real Betis
Barcelona 5-1 Osasuna
Athletic Bilbao 3-0 Atletico Madrid
Mallorca 2-3 Malaga
Monday's La Liga Fixture
Sevilla vs Granada