FC Barcelona showed this Saturday night that its authority in Spain remains intact despite the club's midweek Champions League exit to Inter Milan.
The Pro-Real Madrid press had signaled Saturday's visit to sixth place Villarreal as the moment when Pep Guardiola's side could drop the points that would allow Madrid to steal in and win the BBVA Primera Liga title.
Those hopes were to be dashed after 90 minutes in Villarreal's El Madrigal Stadium. Villarreal went into the game with five wins from six games that had lifted them into sixth place in the table, but Barcelona was simply too good on the night.
Barcelona's Sergio Busquets (front) controls the ball past Villarreal's Bruno Soriano during their Spanish first division soccer match at the Madrigal Stadium in Villarreal May 1, 2010.
Nilmar wasted a good chance for Villarreal by shooting over when Victor Valdes had left his position in the Barcelona goal and he was to lament his miss as the league leaders took control and virtually killed the game off before half time.
Guardiola left big striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich on the bench and gained mobility with the trio of Pedro, Bojan and Leo Messi, who opened the scoring with a deflected shot after 19 minutes.
Xavi Hernandez doubled the lead with a 22 yard free kick that left Diego Lopez looking slow after 33 minutes and Bojan virtually sealed the win just before the break.
The young striker slipped the ball past his marker just inside the half way line, ran clean through on goal and clipped the ball over Diego.
Joseba Llorente pulled a goal back for Villarreal late in the second half, but Messi's second two minutes before the end game Barcelona win that will boost their morale and leave Real Madrid with plenty to think about ahead of their game against Osasuna this Sunday.