Barcelona score their way to top

Madrid: Ronaldinho scored two goals and Javier Saviola added another on Sunday to help FC Barcelona beat Zaragoza 3-1 and move back into first place in the Spanish league.

Ronaldinho equalised with his first goal in the 31st minute, scoring with a downward header from Deco's corner.

Barcelona was reduced to 10 men when Thiago Motta was ejected in the 73rd for elbowing striker Diego Milito in the face as the pair tussled for the ball.

The dismissal prompted protests from Barcelona, with several players and coach Frank Rijkaard arguing.

Zaragoza was then reduced to 10 men moments later when Gabriel Milito was red-carded for holding back Saviola after the defender lost the ball.

Ronaldinho put Barcelona ahead in the 86th minute with a trademark free kick from the edge of the penalty area - his eighth goal of the season. Diego Milito, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute also have eight goals to lead the league.

Six minutes into injury time, Ronaldinho hit the crossbar with another free kick and Saviola headed the rebound over the line for Barcelona's third goal.

Gabriel Milito gave Zaragoza the lead in the 17th minute at Camp Nou when he ran in unchallenged to sidefoot home from Andres D'Alessandro's corner.

Barcelona, which is without injured striker Samuel Eto'o until February, lost forward Lionel Messi six minutes later when he was taken off with a left foot problem following a collision. Reports suggested the Argentine teenager may have fractured a bone in his foot.

Messi was soon followed off the field by two more injured players - Zaragoza's Albert Celades and Barcelona's Edmilson.

Sevilla slipped to second place after a 0-0 draw at Santander, while Real Madrid beat Osasuna 4-1 with Van Nistelrooy scoring four goals - the first Spanish league player to do so since April 25, 2004.

Barcelona leads the league with 23 points, followed by Sevilla with 22, Madrid with 20 and Zaragoza with 19.

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Also, it was: Getafe 1, Mallorca 0; Real Sociedad 1, Espanyol 1; Real Betis 2, Levante 1; Gimnastic Tarragona 0, Deportivo La Coruna 0; and Celta Vigo 1, Recreativo Huelva 2.

Van Nistelrooy first put back a rebound in the 12th minute after Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez had saved a shot from Robinho at El Reyno de Navarra stadium. The Dutchman scored another in the 27th when an attempted clearance rebounded off Robinho and into his path.

Play was briefly halted in the 43rd minute when Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was hit by a lighter thrown from the crowd behind the goal.

After Casillas resumed, Van Nistelrooy angled a low shot home from the edge of the area for his third goal just before halftime.

Madrid, which played without injured Ronaldo, allowed Valdo Lopes to reduce the deficit with a header from a corner in the 64th.

David Beckham, again left on the bench, appeared in the 83rd minute and moments later Van Nistelrooy scored his fourth goal from a pass by midfielder Emerson.

Van Nistelrooy now has eight goals this season, the same as at the top of the scoring chart. The former Manchester United striker scored a hat trick against Levante on Sept. 10.

Santander's Nikola Zigic, Pedro Munitis and Oscar Serrano all nearly scored at Nuevo Sardinero stadium as UEFA Cup champion Sevilla ended its three-game winning streak in its 2,000th first-division match.

Getafe climbed into fifth place after Nacho Perez scored in the 60th minute. The goal was only the sixth that Mallorca, which started the game boasting the division's tightest defense, had conceded this season.

Last-place Sociedad remained winless this season after Espanyol forward Luis Garcia equalized in the 54th minute. Inigo Diaz de Cerio scored the first goal in the 31st.

The draw brought Sociedad its first point at home this season, while extending Espanyol's winless streak to seven games.

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Betis' victory over Levante was only its second of the season.

Edu Schmidt headed the team into a sixth-minute lead, with Mustapha Riga equalizing for Levante in the 63rd. Jesus "Capi" Capitan scored the winner in the 90th.

Levante defender Alvaro Maior was sent off in injury-time, sparking a brawl between the players.

Deportivo remained without a win on the road this season after a lackluster draw with lowly Tarragona.

Celta lost to newly promoted Recreativo.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle, on loan from Liverpool, headed in the first goal for the visitors in the 48th minute, the Frenchman's fourth of the season. Ikechuckwu Uche added a second nine minutes later.

Celta substitute Antonio Guayre replied in the 82nd, four minutes before teammate Gabriel Tamas was ejected.

On Saturday, Valencia drew 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao, and Atletico Madrid beat Villarreal 3-1.