May 22, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 05, 1428

MADRID, May 21: Real Madrid held on to the leadership of the Primera Liga by the skin of their teeth after a last-gasp 3-2 win over Recreativo Huelva on Sunday. Real looked as though they might lose top spot after Recre fought back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 with five minutes to go, but Brazilian fullback Roberto Carlos snatched a vital win when he dinked home in injury time.

Barcelona, who relinquished top spot after last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to Real Betis, bounced back with a 6-0 destruction of Atletico Madrid, to inflict a heaviest ever home league defeat on the rojiblancos.

With three games left to play, Real are level on 69 points with Barcelona, but they lead the standing thanks to their better head-to-head record. Both teams are now assured of a place in the Champions League qualifiers next season.

UEFA Cup winners Sevilla are just two points further back, staying in the hunt for the title with a 2-1 comeback win at Deportivo Coruna.

Valencia are in fourth on 65, just four behind the leaders after their 1-0 win away to Real Mallorca on Saturday.

Real knew they had to deliver the goods after Sevilla's win at Deportivo and they made a perfect start when the unmarked Robinho headed in from six metres after David Beckham whipped in a fine curling cross from the right in the ninth minute.

Real extended their lead eight minutes into the second half when Ruud van Nistelrooy took his tally for the season to 22 with a penalty given after Recre keeper Bertrand Laquait brought down Robinho as the Brazilian raced towards the byline.

Recre pulled one back when Jesus Vazquez converted a penalty after substitute Ikechukwu Uche was felled by Sergio Ramos and Real began to look a little nervous.

Uche, who ran the Real defence ragged in the final quarter, made it 2-2 when he fired in from a corner, but Real, who had snatched last-gasp wins over Espanyol and Sevilla in their previous two league outings, refused to throw in the towel.

With practically their last throw of the dice, Roberto Carlos clipped in past Laquait after Fernando Gago had put him in the clear with a clever turn and pass on the edge of the area.

Lionel Messi set Barca on their way to an crushing win at a rain-soaked Calderon with an superbly crafted goal six minutes before the break.

The Argentine teenager left the Atletico midfield for dead with an electrifying change of pace, exchanged a gleaming one-two with Samuel Eto'o and then fired past Ivan Cuellar.

Italian defender Gianluca Zambrotta made it 2-0 when he lobbed into the far corner and Eto'o added a third on the stroke of halftime, poking home after Cuellar had fumbled a Deco cross.

Ronaldinho took it to 4-0 when he put the finishing touch on a gleaming passing move before the hour was up, Messi chipped in a fifth and Andres Iniesta made it a round half dozen with a breakaway goal just before the final whistle.

Results:

Played on Sunday:

Atletico Madrid 0 Barcelona 6

Deportivo Coruna 1 Sevilla 2

Levante 1 Osasuna 4

Espanyol 1 Getafe 5

Real Sociedad 3 Celta Vigo 1

Recreativo Huelva 2 Real Madrid 3

Villarreal 2 Racing Santander 1

Played on Saturday:

Real Mallorca 0 Valencia 1

Real Betis 1 Gimnastic 1

Real Zaragoza 4 Athletic Bilbao 3

—Reuters