FC Barcelona took a two-point lead in the race for the Spanish domestic title over the weekend, defeating Eibar 5-0 at the Camp Nou while watching their eternal rival Real Madrid lose 1-0 against Levante.
The Blaugranas played on Saturday afternoon and made easy work of relegation candidate Eibar despite unrest in the crowd due to unhappiness with club president Josep Bartolomeu.
Leo Messi put in a world-class performance, scoring four goals against an Eibar defense that was helpless against his masterful play. It was never a contest on Saturday in Barcelona, leaving the Cules with some hope that they could take the La Liga lead with a little bit of help.
And they got help in the form of a massive win for Levante over Real Madrid in the Saturday night cap.
Real Madrid traveled to Valencia to face off with the mid-table Granotas having not lost a La Liga match since October 19th at Mallorca. A brilliant performance from Levante goalie Aitor Fernandez and a stunning goal by Jose Luis Morales, however, doomed them on Saturday to second place.
The La Liga drama comes on the heels of a hugely important week for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The new La Liga leaders will travel to Italy to take on Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 matchup, while Real Madrid will host Manchester City.
