Lionel Messi produced a vintage second-half performance to help Barcelona to a 4-1 win over local rival Espanyol Sunday which saw the champion cut the gap on La Liga leader Real Madrid to three points. Luis Suarez celebrated signing a new contract with Barca Friday by firing the home side ahead in the 18th minute with the help of a brilliant pass from Andres Iniesta and the Uruguayan struck again in the 67th after a mazy run from Messi. The Argentine maestro cut the Espanyol defense to ribbons again to allow Jordi Alba to score the third in the 68th before capping the victory with a goal of his own in the 89th, after David Lopez had pulled one back for the visiting side. Barca is second on 34 points, three behind Real Madrid which has a game in hand due to its participation in the Club World Cup which it lifted after a 4-2 extra-time win over Kashima Antlers earlier Sunday, while Sevilla is third on 33. Espanyol has not beaten Barcelona since 2009 although it went into the game on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in the league, conceding only once in its last six. Deportivo La Coruna piled more misery on bottom side Osasuna by beating the visiting Navarrans 2-0 thanks to first-half goals from Florin Andone and Ryan Babel. Lowly Leganes drew 1-1 at home to seventh-placed Eibar despite having keeper Iago Herrerin sent off in the 26th. Miguel Angel Guerrero had put the hosts ahead three minutes earlier but former Manchester United winger Bebe levelled in the 76th. Costa sends Bayern top Douglas Costa's unstoppable 25-meter strike was enough to give lackluster Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory over bottom side Darmstadt 98 Sunday and put the champion back on top of the Bundesliga. The Bavarians, who had lost the lead to RB Leipzig after it beat Hertha Berlin 2-0 Saturday, is on 36 points, ahead on goal difference of the promoted club and nine ahead of third-placed Hoffenheim. In the other match of the day struggling Ingolstadt made it two wins in a row with a 2-1 victory over hosts Bayer Leverkusen to move out of the bottom places and into the relegation playoff spot in 16th. Nice seven points clear of PSG Nice striker Mario Balotelli struck twice as the Ligue 1 leader won 2-1 at home to Dijon Sunday to widen the gap over third-placed champion Paris St Germain. The Italian, who now has eight goals from as many league appearances, scored in each half either side of Julio Tavares' equalizer for the visitors. The result put Nice on 43 points from 18 games, seven ahead of PSG, which slumped to its fourth defeat of the season when it lost 2-1 at En Avant Guingamp Saturday. Ten-man Monaco went down 3-1 to Olympique Lyonnais for its first league loss in over two months and its first at home this season, leaving it four points off the pace in second. Lyon is fourth on 31 points, with a game in hand, ahead of Guingamp with 29.
