Barcelona eye Spanish three-peat

Barcelona's Ronaldinho celebrates after scoring against Sevilla during their Spanish league football match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. Reigning champions Barcelona opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after their nearest rivals all faltered.

Barcelona, Spanish champions for the last two years, opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after their nearest rivals all faltered.

The Catalan club beat last season's UEFA Cup winners Sevilla 3-1, helped by two first half goals from two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, while second-placed Valencia went down 3-2 at Celta Vigo.

"Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla may all have lost but there is still a long way to go in the league," said coach Frank Rijkaard.

Argentine winger Lionel Messi scored Barcelona's third goal 10 minutes from the whistle to seal victory.

"Messi was excellent but just as important was the way the goal was created. I have to congratulate our midfield of (Thiago) Motta, Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Iniesta," added Rijkaard.

"This was a game where tactics were important and they were working hard to help out the wingers."

Barcelona's Tiago Motta (top) jumps for a header against Sevilla's Kepa during their Spanish League football match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. Reigning champions Barcelona opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after their nearest rivals all faltered.

Sevilla slip one place to fourth after the loss.

Valencia's defeat ends their unbeaten streak in both La Liga and the Champions League.

"We were the antithesis of what we normally are: solid, conceding few opportunities. Today you saw the other side: a vulnerable team, giving the opponent plenty of chances," said Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

David Navarro opened the scoring for Valencia with a header after 39 minutes but Fernando Baiano levelled for the hosts just seconds before halftime.

Goals shortly after the break from Iriney and Canobbio put Celta well ahead although Fernando Morientes reduced the deficit after 63 minutes.

Atletico Madrid are third, level with Valencia on 13 points but with an inferior goal difference after beating Recreativo Huelva 2-1 on Saturday.

Valencias' Baiano(L) is chased by Celta de Vigo's Ayala during a Spanish league match at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo. Valencia squandered their chance to keep up the pressure on league leaders Barcelona when they went down 3-2 at Celta Vigo.

At the other end of the table, struggling Athletic Bilbao and Racing Santander both won away from home for their first victories of the season.

Athletic triumphed 3-2 at Gimnastic Tarragona but made their supporters fret after almost blowing a 3-0 lead and despite their opponents playing most of the game with 10 men.

"At 3-0 we were well on top of the game but we almost gave it away," admitted Athletic coach Felix Sarriugarte.

Francisco Yeste opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a penalty, after Gimnastic defender Anibal Matellan had handled the ball.

Gimnastic's problems worsened when Manuel Ruz was sent off after 27 minutes for hacking down Pablo Orbaiz and Andoni Iraola took immediate advantage with Athletic's second goal barely a minute later.

Yeste seemed to give Athletic an impregnable lead eight minutes after the break, with a looping left foot effort from 25 metres, but Gimnastic nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback.

Valencias' Silva(R) is chased by Celta de Vigo's Oubina during a Spanish league match at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo. Valencia squandered their chance to keep up the pressure on league leaders Barcelona when they went down 3-2 at Celta Vigo.

Firstly, Athletic defender Josu Sarriegi put through his own net and then a header from second-half substitute Ariza Makukula made it 3-2 with 20 minutes to go.

Despite a frantic finale, Athletic hung on to climb out of the relegation zone and send Gimnastic in the opposite direction, with the promoted side now just one place off the bottom.

Athletic are one of only three clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid being the others - to have been ever present since the start of the Spanish first division in 1928.

Racing Santander enjoyed a scrappy 1-0 win at Osasuna with Felipe Melo getting the only goal from the penalty spot after 52 minutes.

However, there was misery for bottom club Real Sociedad who crashed 3-1 at home to Real Zaragoza.

The San Sebastian side are now the only first division side without a win.

Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres(R) heads the ball over Recreativo Huelva's C. Arzo during a Spanish league match at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid on 14 October 2006. Atletico won 2-1.

Sociedad opened the scoring from the penalty spot through Xabi Prieto after 26 minutes but were then torn apart by the brilliance of Zaragoza's Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar.

Aimar's compatriot Diego Milito equalised with another penalty five minutes later before clinching the points before the hour was up with goals from Carlos Diogo and another from Milito.

Real Madrid's unbeaten season came to an end on Saturday when they went down 1-0 at Getafe with Ronaldo being dismissed in the dying moments for a second bookable offence, his first sending off in a Spanish league game.

The red card will rule him out of next weekend's derby with bitter rivals Barcelona.