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Lionel Messi missed a slew of chances before squeezing home a late strike to
give Barcelona a 1-0 win at third-placed Valencia in La Liga on Wednesday and
stretch the champions lead over Real Madrid to 10 points.

With Barca looking like they might drop points for only the fourth time this
season, the Argentina forward struck a low shot in the 77th minute at the
Mestalla that spun just inside the post off the outstretched arm of goalkeeper
Vicente Guaita.

Messi’s league leading 27th goal lifted Barca to 71 points from 26 matches.
They have now won 12 of 13 away games, drawing last month at Sporting Gijon in
their only slip-up on the road.

They are also unbeaten in their last 20 away matches, beating a La Liga
record set by Basque club Real Sociedad at the end of the 1970s.

Real Madrid can trim the gap to seven points with a win at Malaga on
Thursday, when the Andalusian club’s coach Manuel Pellegrini returns to the
Bernabeu to face the man who replaced him at Real at the end of last season,
Jose Mourinho.

Another of Pellegrini’s former clubs, Villarreal, breathed life into their
bid for a place in next season’s Champions League earlier on Wednesday when
Giuseppe Rossi struck to give them a 1-0 home win over promoted Hercules.

The Italy forward sped on to Cani’s through ball in the 21st minute at the
Madrigal and finished past Juan Calatayud to lift Villarreal to 50 points from
26 matches, one behind Valencia.

Juan Carlos Garrido’s Villarreal side, who are still alive in the Europa
League, had lost two and drawn two of their last four league matches.

Desperate defence

Messi should have put Barca ahead in the
ninth minute at a noisy Mestalla in Valencia when he was denied three times in
quick succession by some desperate defence.

He had another great chance when he was clean through in the 31st but his
chipped effort landed on the roof of net and he also skewed a shot just wide of
goal early in the second half.

Valencia, who had hassled and harried the Barca players impressively
throughout the match, had several good opportunities of their own but Pablo
Hernandez and substitute Roberto Soldado were unable to convert.

Barca’s Brazilian defender Adriano, who provided the assist for Messi’s goal
when he cut in from the left wing, said his team had been made to work hard for
the three points.

“It was our most difficult away game, together with the (Real match
next month), but the work is not over,” he said in a television interview.

“We have to work a lot to win the championship,” he added, with an
eye on Barca’s games at Sevilla on March 13 and at Villarreal on April 3.

Europa League champions Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao stumbled in
their campaigns for a European berth.

Atletico were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Getafe and Bilbao squandered
the lead to lose 2-1 at Real Zaragoza.

Atletico are eighth on 35 points, three behind Bilbao and Sevilla, who beat
visiting Sporting Gijon 3-0 on Tuesday.

Espanyol lost 2-1 at home to Real Mallorca on
Tuesday and remain fifth on 40 points.

In other matches on Wednesday, Osasuna drew 0-0 with visiting Deportivo
Coruna and Real Sociedad and Levante drew 1-1 in San Sebastian.

REUTERS