Madrid: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bojan Krkic scored as Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 to provisionally go three points clear at the top of the Spanish league Wednesday.
The Sweden striker stretched to tap Maxwell's cross in from close range in the 72nd minute, his first goal in open play since February 14. Krkic, who replaced Ibrahimovic for the last 20 minutes, met Andres Iniesta's cross in the 88th to make sure of the win.
Barcelona have 71 points, with Real Madrid on 68 ahead of their visit to Getafe on Thursday.
"We have to make sure we get three points each game," said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. "We have to win whichever way we can because right next to us is a team that is playing very well."
Also Wednesday, David Villa scored his 18th goal of the season as Valencia beat Malaga 1-0. Valencia stayed third on 53 points.
Lionel Messi started alongside Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry at the Camp Nou, despite reports that the Argentina striker might be rested after scoring 10 goals in four games.
Ibrahimovic came close in the second minute when he fooled his marker and curled a shot toward goal that Ricardo Lopez saved. However, Barcelona struggled to find their usual passing game and the visitors had the best chances early on.
In the fourth, Victor Valdes had to pull off a fine save to deny the unmarked Krisztian Vadocz. Barcelona's defence was then nearly caught out again when Masoud Soleimani crossed unmarked from inside the area and Carles Puyol intercepted.
Barcelona eventually started to take control of possession and Ibrahimovic was unlucky when his goalbound shot bounced off a defender and over the bar in the 30th.
However, a well-organized Osasuna managed to keep Messi unusually quiet for much of the game as well as frustrating Henry, who was replaced by Pedro Rodriguez at halftime.
The substitution nearly broke the deadlock immediately, when Messi just failed to connect with Pedro's pass over the Osasuna defence.
The hosts started to threaten more often and Yaya Toure was well placed to shoot when he failed to control a wall pass off Ibrahimovic.
Twenty minutes from the end Seydou Keita came on for Sergio Busquets, who was on a yellow card. The Mali midfielder drew a save from Lopez within seconds of coming on, when he headed Andres Iniesta's cross.
Messi's best chance of the game came when he cut inside and struck the post with his curling left-foot shot.
Villa put Valencia ahead at the Mestalla Stadium in the 13th, from Juan Manuel Mata's assist.
Valencia enjoyed more possession than a lackluster Malaga and looked dangerous in attack throughout the game.
In the 29th, David Silva had a shot from inside the area saved and the energetic Villa brushed the post in the 33rd. Shortly before halftime, Malaga goalkeeper Gustavo Munua did well to push Jordi Alba's right-footed shot over the bar.
Nabil Baha had a rare chance for Malaga in the first half, shooting high after Cesar Sanchez's poor clearance.
In the second half Malaga nearly scored against the run of play when Salvador Caicedo was put through by Valmiro Lopes, but his shot let him down.
Also, Tenerife drew 2-2 with Villarreal, Almeria beat Zaragoza 1-0, Valladolid drew 0-0 with Espanyol and Racing Santander drew 0-0 with Mallorca.
At Tenerife's Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez, Nilmar headed Villarreal ahead at the end of the first half before Juan Francisco "Nino" Martinez equalized in the 60th. Jose Antonio Culebras gave Tenerife the lead in the 76th before Giuseppe Rossi pulled the visitors level two minutes from the end.
On Tuesday, Sporting Gijon beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-1 and Sevilla drew 1-1 with Xerez.
On Thursday it's: Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao.
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