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Pedro brace sends Barcelona five clear

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-04 08:07

Barcelona's Dani Alves and Pedro Rodriguez (top) celebrate the team's second goal against Levante. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - Pedro scored twice as Barcelona made heavy weather of beating promoted Levante 2-1 to move five points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

The champion, with 46 points from 17 matches, pulled away from second-placed Real Madrid which visited local rival Getafe on Monday.

Valencia consolidated its grip on fourth place with 31 points, a last-minute header from Juan Mata earning a 2-1 home win with 10 men over fifth-placed Espanyol.

Sevilla ended a run of five consecutive league defeats to edge out Osasuna 1-0, a header from Frederic Kanoute in the 36th minute proving enough as the home team climbed to ninth with 23 points.

Barca, without the injured Carles Puyol, suspended Gerard Pique and rested Lionel Messi, looked rusty after the league's two-week winter break.

The host struggled to open up Levante's massed defence until the 47th minute when Pedro kept his composure in a crowded area to score.

The second came 12 minutes later, Dani Alves breaking down the right and crossing for Spanish international Pedro to sweep in his eighth league goal of the campaign.

The crossbar denied Pedro his hat-trick and Cristian Stuani pulled one back for Levante with a superb volley 10 minutes from time.

"We knew Levante would make it tough and that they would be looking for a reaction after losing 8-0 at the Bernabeu (in their last outing)," coach Pep Guardiola said after Barca took its unbeaten sequence to 24 matches in all competitions.

"We didn't play badly but we found it hard to break them open. In 50 years' time teams will still be playing with 10 men behind the ball and it will continue to be hard to beat them."

Spain midfielder Xavi made his 549th appearance for Barcelona, equalling the club record set by Migueli.

In other games, Deportivo Coruna was a 2-1 winner at Athletic Bilbao, which stayed eighth with 25 points, and Malaga dragged itself out of the bottom three with a 2-1 victory at Sporting Gijon.

Reuters