Samuel Eto'o helped Barcelona stay top of the Spanish Primera Liga by scoring four first-half goals as the leader crushed Valladolid 6-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

The striker took his league tally for the season to 13 and matched Gonzalo Higuain's earlier heroics for Real Madrid when the Argentine striker scored all four goals as it came back with 10 men to beat promoted Malaga 4-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barca's eighth straight league win gives it 25 points from 10 games, two ahead of champion Real in second. Third-placed Villarreal, with 21 points, was at home to Almeria yesterday when the rest of the Primera Liga fixtures are played.

Eto'o raced through to beat two defenders and open the scoring for Barca in the 12th minute before doubling its lead on the half-hour with a volley after a wonderful flowing move.

He picked up Lionel Messi's pass to round the keeper for the third in the 42nd and slotted home the fourth two minutes later after the Argentine's surging run was blocked and the ball broke free for the Cameroon striker.

Eidur Gudjohnsen netted a delicate chip in the 71st and a sublime passing move ended with Aleksandr Hleb squaring for France's Thierry Henry to stab home the sixth near the end.

While Barca's victory was a one-sided affair full of intricate passing moves, Real's win owed more to its gritty fighting spirit as it narrowly avoided making it four games without a victory in all competitions.

The injury-hit side was under pressure after Wednesday's 0-2 Champions League defeat at home to Juventus.

It got off to a bad start when Malaga's Portuguese midfielder Eliseu dribbled off the wing past two defenders. When his pullback was fired against the post he put away the rebound.

The home team responded quickly with Higuain netting after Francesc Arnau could only parry Marcelo's shot but a low cross from Duda caught Real defender Gabriel Heinze flat-footed in the 18th leaving striker Nabil Baha free to score.

Higuain came to the rescue from the penalty spot after a handball on the edge of the area, but Real was reduced to 10 men when defender Sergio Ramos stepped on Eliseu's chest after a challenge.

Duda was fouled in the area and Apono drilled home a penalty to restore Malaga's advantage, but the lead only lasted a minute until Higuain beat Arnau from well outside the area.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 10, 2008)