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Barcelona went six points clear at the top of La Liga with a stunning 3-0 win away to Sevilla, while Getafe beat Real Madrid 3-1 at their Coliseum Alfonso Perez home.

Samuel Eto'o and a lovely Lionel Messi brace saw Barca take the points at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

The Catalan giants started the brighter of the two with Thierry Henry, Seydou Keita and Messi all having attempts on goal. However, the breakthrough came in the 20th minute as the ball broke rather fortuitously to Eto'o and the Cameroonian ruthlessly finished from 12 yards.

Following the goal, Sevilla battled back and should have been level at half-time. They were unhappy not to be given a penalty in the 33rd minute when Fredi Kanoute got in front of Gerard Pique and the Spaniard leant into the back of him as he strode towards goal.

Kanoute had no-one to blame but himself 10 minutes later though as a dinked free-kick found him with time in front of goal, but he could only hit the bar from eight yards.

As Sevilla pressed forward, Barcelona profited and the mercurial Messi's influence on the game grew. First, he dribbled past three and stung Palop's hands then he laid one on for Henry, whose shot was also saved.

The next time he attacked he ran on to Xavi's header after 78 minutes and thumped a left-footed volley home from over 20 yards out to seal the points.

It was a sensational finish that gave them a cushion from which Sevilla never looked like coming back.

Their fate was confirmed in the 86th minute when Luis Fabiano took out his frustrations on Sergio Busquets with an ugly elbow. The assistant referee spotted it and the referee had no choice but to send him off.

To make matters worse, Messi then raced on to Alexander Hleb's through ball, rounded Palop and slotted in from a tight angle to make it 3-0 in the second minute of added time.

Getafe 3-1 Real Madrid

Second-placed Real lost ground after Getafe striker Juan Angel Albin hit a brace and substitute Uche also got on to the scoresheet to see the home side triumph despite a sublime finish from Javier Saviola.

Albin's opener was a third-minute bullet header from a Jaime Gavilan cross.

The second arrived soon into the second half, Fernando Gago not dealing with a ball through to allow Albin to race into the box and fire inside the near post of a bewildered Iker Casillas.

Javier Saviola scored with a predatory finish into the top corner - following good work by Guti - on a rare start for the former Argentina star, but Getafe's attacks down both sides put Real under long spells of pressure.

They had a third when Albin raced through on the right and opted to square to Uche when he could have looked for his hat-trick; the Nigerian finished inside the near post to set the home fans celebrating.

Real looked uncomfortable in defence as former Bernabeu striker Roberto Soldado caused them problems, while Esteban Granero and Jaime Gavilan were a constant threat.

Soldado should have had a penalty when Real centre-half Sergio Ramos brought him down before handball claims against Ramos and substitute Michel Salgado were both waved away by referee Perez Burrull.

Raul had a chance in the first half that Pato saved well, but the weak shot was typical of the visiting performance.

"Getafe were much better. They played a spectacular game and the scoreline flatters us," Real coach Bernd Schuster said.

"We have a lot of players injured but we could do nothing. From the first moment I saw it would be difficult for us... and I never had the sensation we would win."

Jonathan Symcox / Reuters