Majestic Messi keeps Barcelona on top in Spain

Barcelona kept top spot in the Spanish Liga with a comfortable 5-0 romp away to lowly Tenerife, dpa reported.

Star of the show in Santa Cruz was FIFA World Player Lionel Messi, with a majestic hat-trick.

"Leo was just great tonight," said Barca playmaker Andres Iniesta. "What he did at the end of the first half was just incredible, something that only really great players can do."

Barca now have 43 points from 17 games, two more than Real Madrid, who beat Mallorca 2-0 at home earlier on Sunday.

Tenerife made a valiant start against Barca but lacked a cool finish. Then Messi proceeded to take centre stage, tearing the hapless islanders apart in an eight-minute burst just before half- time.

In the 38th minute the little Argentine made it 1-0 by turning in a centre from Bojan Krkic. In the 44th minute he centred for captain Carles Puyol to head in the second. Two minutes later, in first-half injury time, he made it 3-0 after good work by Iniesta and Bojan.

Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with an exquisite chip. Four minutes from time, overworked Tenerife defender Ezequiel Luna scored an own goal, after a clever centre from Barca winger Pedro.

Earlier on Sunday, Real had kept up their remarkable home record by beating Mallorca 2-0 in a snowy Estadio Bernabeu, with goals from youngsters Gonzalo Higuain and Esteban Granero.

The whites have won all nine of their home matches and are now one point ahead of Barcelona, who are away to lowly Tenerife later on Sunday.

"It was not an easy game tonight, what with the snow and the heavy pitch ... but we played well again, and now let's see what Barcelona can do," said Real left-back Marcelo.

Higuain gave Real the lead after just eight minutes. He took a pass from Xabi Alonso, cut inside from the right and scored with a powerful left-foot drive from outside the penalty area.

Mallorca had several chances, but Real always looked in control.

Five minutes into the second half, Granero - who had come on for the injured Rafael Van der Vaart - made it 2-0 with a clever left- foot volley, on a centre from Higuain.

On three occasions Cristiano Ronaldo came close to making it 3-0, as Mallorca gradually gave up the ghost.

Earlier on Sunday, Valencia had moved up to third with a 3-1 win away to bottom team Xerez.

Valencia won with goals from Spanish internationals Juan Mata, David Silva and Carlos Marchena, against opponents who rarely threatened to spring a surprise.

Xerez, in their first ever season in the top flight, are six points adrift at the bottom and surely destined for a quick return to the second division.

Valencia have the best away form of any team in the major European leagues, having won seven of their nine matches on the road.

"Our away form has been excellent this season," said captain Marchena, who scored an excellent goal. "Now we must try to improve our results in Mestalla."

Mata shot Valencia ahead in the 11th minute, on a pass from the fast-improving Ever Banega. Carlos Calvo made it 1-1 for Xerez following a rapid counter in the 26th minute, only for Silva to restore Valencia's lead after a good centre from David Villa.

Marchena gave Xerez the death sentence 20 minutes from time, making it 3-1 with a handsome solo goal through the middle.

Valencia are four points ahead of Deportivo Coruna, who moved up to fourth by beating Osasuna 1-0 at home, on a solitary goal from Juan Rodriguez.

Deportivo are now one point ahead of Sevilla and Mallorca, who share fifth place.

In Sunday's other early games, Espanyol beat Zaragoza 2-1, with goals from Joan Verdu and Fernando Marques; Sporting Gijon beat Getafe 1-0, on a goal from Diego Castro; and Athletic Bilbao battled out a 1-1 draw in Malaga.

These results leave Xerez bottom with just seven points. Then come Zaragoza on 13, Malaga on 14, Tenerife on 15 and Valladolid on 16.