MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi scored for the sixth game in a row as Barcelona defeated big-spending Atletico Madrid 3-0 to stay in touch with Primera Liga leaders Real Madrid.

Messi (left) is congratulated by Ronaldinho after scoring again in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona had thumped Atletico 6-0 on their own ground last season and the visitors were out for revenge -- but conceded twice in four minutes.

After 15 minutes, Italian goalkeeper Christian Abbiati let a routine Messi cross slip out of his hands and Deco rolled home into the empty net.

Four minutes later Messi played a great one-two with Ronaldinho and rifled a shot past Abbiati for his sixth goal of the season and Xavi added a third late on.

"It was a deserved victory against a rival that we have had problems with in the past," explained Barca coach Frank Rijkaard.

"We scored twice in quick succession and then we controlled the match using aggression and with the team attacking and defending as a unit."

"Conceding two early goals inside four minutes is not easy to turn around especially against Barcelona," admitted Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.

It was Barcelona's fourth straight league win but they still trail Real Madrid by two points after the champions beat Recreativo Huleva 2-0.

Dutch international Ruud van Nistelrooy, the league's top-scorer last season, scored on 72 minutes before Gonzalo Higuain netted in the final minute to keep Real at the summit.

Luck deserted them when Wesley Sneijder hit the post but Van Nistelrooy scored in the final quarter hour before Higuain struck to keep them two points clear at the top.

Real have made their best start since 1991 but coach Bernd Schuster's rotation policy has been questioned with the German chopping and changing his team.

"It was an important victory because it is the final match before we go away on international duty," said Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

"We are now top for the next two weeks and can build on that when we return."

Villarreal, now four points behind Real, lost for only the second time in 15 matches with a 3-2 reverse against Osasuna.

Sevilla, third last season, are in a crisis after losing their fourth league game in a row with a goal from Riki handing Deportivo La Coruna a surprise 1-0 win.

Sevilla have just six points from their first six matches and are 13 points behind Real.

Levante's Abel Resino became the first Spanish league coach to be sacked this season, after their 3-0 home loss to Real Zaragoza. .

The 47-year-old Resino, a former goalkeeper at Atletico Madrid, joined Levante in January as a replacement for Juan Ramon Lopez Caro.

The Valencia-based club are bottom of the table with only a point from seven matches. E-mail to a friend
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