(CNN) -- Barcelona moved seven points clear in Spain after title rivals Real Madrid faltered with a goalless draw at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's team had a frustrating night at the Riazor, as top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo had a first-half effort ruled out for offside and also hit the post in the second spell.
Emmanuel Adebayor earlier volleyed against the post and fellow substitute Angel Di Maria forced a fine save from goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia after Ronaldo's fierce 82nd-minute drive rebounded off the base of the woodwork.
Karim Benzema then should have scored from Xabi Alonso's low cross, but the striker -- who netted in the midweek Champions League draw with his former club Lyon -- got tangled up with the ball and the desperate Deportivo defense cleared the danger.
By contrast, champions Barcelona romped to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Mallorca earlier in the evening, with two-time world player of the year Lionel Messi again on target.
The Argentina forward broke the deadlock with an opportunist effort seven minutes before halftime as he ran onto an inventive lob by Seydou Keita, headed on the bouncing ball and then nodded it past goalkeeper Dudu Aouate.
It was the 23-year-old's 42nd goal this season and his 26th in La Liga, putting him two ahead of Ronaldo.
Mid-table Mallorca held Barca to a 1-1 draw in October, but never looked like repeating that after David Villa made it 2-0 in the 57th minute with his 21st goal this season and 17th in the league.
The Spain striker beat the offside trap to collect a defense-splitting pass from Sergio Busquets and round Aouate, who had unwisely charged out of his area.
Winger Pedro Rodriguez added his 13th league goal in the 66th minute as he cut in from the left and fired a right-foot shot that appeared to loop off a defender and over the helpless Israeli keeper.
Barcelona went into the match without injured midfielder Xavi Hernandez, captain Carles Puyol and goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while Brazil defender Dani Alves was suspended.
Espanyol moved up to fifth place with a 4-1 crushing of Real Sociedad, whose midfielder Dani Estrada opened the scoring three minutes before halftime and then immediately put the ball in his own net at the other end.
Striker Sergio Garcia made it 2-1 nine minutes after halftime, then midfielders Jose Callejon and Javi Marquez scored in the last 10 minutes.
Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Sevilla, which did little to help either team's hopes of European football next season.
Striker Alvaro Negredo put seven-placed Sevilla ahead four minutes before halftime, but midfielder Koke leveled two minutes after the break.
Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic restored Sevilla's lead on 66, but Jose Antonio Reyes netted 10 minutes later to keep Atletico ahead of ninth-placed Sociedad on goal difference.
Sporting Gijon moved a point away from the relegation zone after being held 0-0 at home by Real Zaragoza, who remained third from bottom.
In Italy, seventh-placed Juventus crashed to a shock 2-0 defeat at home to Bologna in Saturday's only Serie A game, with the Turin club's former striker Marco Di Vaio scoring both goals.
The result, which followed last weekend's reverse against lowly Lecce, left the 27-time league champions 14 points behind leaders AC Milan, who host second-placed Napoli on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sporting Lisbon sacked coach Paulo Sergio on Saturday with the 18-time Portugal champions knocked out of Europe and languishing in third place in the table.
Jose Couceiro will replace him until the end of this season, starting with Sunday's trip to face Nacional in Madeira as Sporting trail the new coach's league-leading former club Porto by 23 points.
Source : http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/02/26/football.barcelona.real.madrid/index.html
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