Barcelona shook off its midweek Champions League semifinal exit with a resounding 4-1 victory at Villarreal Saturday. Lionel Messi scored a brace while Xavi Hernandez and Bojan Krkic added goals to give the defending Spanish champion a four-point advantage over Real Madrid, which can cut it back to one against Osasuna Sunday. Xavi found Messi inside the area in the 19th minute, and the Argentine turned deftly to fire a shot that slightly deflected off Diego Godin to beat goalkeeper Diego Lopez. It was Messi's first goal in five games. Xavi made it 2-0 in the 34th after sending a perfectly placed free kick over the defensive wall and into the top corner of goal past the outstretched Lopez. Krkic started in place of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had two lackluster performances against Inter, and used his quick feet to create the third goal in the 42nd. After receiving a pass from Xavi, the teenage striker pushed the ball forward to himself after speeding around Gonzalo Rodriguez to go free on Lopez and score with a right-footed shot. Villarreal pulled one back in the 67th after Nilmar, who missed two clear chances before Messi's opener, stretched a perfect through ball into the area for Joseba Llorente to poke past Valdes. Ibrahimovic eventually came on in the 85th to replace Krkic after the teenage striker beat Lopez with an angled shot that found the side netting. Xavi again started a quick counter attack for Barcelona's fourth in the 87th as he fed the speeding Daniel Alves, who crossed into the area for Messi to chip over Lopez for his league-leading 29th goal and 42nd overall. Barcelona has 90 points, Madrid 86 and Valencia is third with 65 after Nicola Zigic scored both goals in a 2-0 win at Espanyol. Fourth-place Mallorca has 56 points, Sevilla has 54 while Villarreal has 52 and Getafe 51. Earlier, Tenerife beat Racing Santander 2-1, while Malaga scored late to draw 1-1 with Sporting Gijon. Mario Bermejo scored deep into injury-time as last-place Xerez stayed alive with a 2-1 win against Almeria, and Valladolid is second-last after a 0-0 draw against Getafe. Adrian Colunga's 49th-minute goal gave Zaragoza a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna to go to 37 points _ one better than Racing. AS Roma goes top In Mila, AS Roma returned to the top of the Serie A ahead of Inter Milan's game by beating Parma 2-1 Saturday following goals from Francesco Totti and Rodrigo Taddei. Roma has 74 points, one more than defending champion Inter, which plays Lazio at Rome's Olympic Stadium Sunday. Davide Lanzafame pulled a goal back for Parma in the 81st minute. Parma had midfielder Luis Jiminez sent off in the 88th. In Saturday's late match, Ronaldinho scored a penalty 12 minutes from the final whistle to give AC Milan a 1-0 win over Fiorentina. Neither team moved in the standings; AC Milan is third with 67 points and Fiorentina ninth with 46.
