BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona avenged its only defeat in the Spanish league this season with a record-equaling 3-0 win over Hercules on Saturday, provisionally moving seven points clear of second-place Real Madrid.
To add to its fierce rival's plight, Barcelona's 15th consecutive league win equals Madrid's record that had stood since the 1960-61 season. In this winning stretch, Barcelona has outscored its opponents 57-6.
Pedro Rodriguez scored the opener in the 43rd, blasting in a pass from Xavi Hernandez, and Lionel Messi scored two goals in the last three minutes to seal the win at Rico Perez stadium.
Hercules had stunned the defending champions in week 2 with a 2-0 victory at Camp Nou, but Barcelona dominated throughout Saturday and could have scored more goals.
"We knew this visit was important," said Barcelona right back Dani Alves. "We saw it in the first round. (Hercules) is a well-organized team and pressures a lot."
Barcelona has 58 points. Madrid has 51 ahead of its Sunday match at Osasuna.
In an up-and-down opening, Barcelona threatened through shots by Messi and Pedro. But Hercules had the best chance, David Trezeguet poking Nelson Valdez's pass just past the left post in the 21st.
After the scare from the former France striker, Barcelona took control of possession and the game, and Pedro soon converted Barcelona's dominance into its first goal.
Pep Guardiola's team smothered Hercules in its own half after the restart, with Pedro having a goal disallowed in the 65th and Messi grazing the right post from inside the area shortly afterward.
Hercules played with 10 men during the last 10 minutes after Francisco Farinos was sent off for a second yellow card. Messi soon took advantage with one of his trademark left-footed shots from the edge of the area in the 87th. The Argentina star then pushed in a pass from Dani Alves for Barcelona's third in the 89th.
Messi has 38 goals — 21 in the league — and nine doubles in all competitions this season.
Earlier, Sporting Gijon routed Mallorca 4-0 on Saturday for its first away win in the league this season, and Levante downed Getafe 2-0.
Diego Castro headed home his eighth goal this season to put Sporting in front in the third minute, and Mallorca defender Kevin Garcia redirected a shot into his own goal in the 61st to make it 2-0.
Substitute Andre Castro added the third six minutes later and Nacho Novo made it 4-0 in the 87th.
Sporting's third straight win lifted it provisionally into 12th place and four points clear of the drop.
"A month ago, everything was black," said Sporting coach Manuel Preciado, who was rumored to be close to being fired with his team in the relegation zone. "And now everything is bright, but that isn't so. There is a long way to go."
At Ciutat de Valencia stadium, Valmiro "Valdo" Lopes scored Levante's opener in the 47th. Felipe Caicedo sealed the win seven minutes later to end his team's run of five weeks without a victory. The Ecuadorean striker, who is on loan from Manchester City, has eight goals this season.
Getafe's Manuel del Moral and Levante's Francisco Nadal were sent off after receiving a straight red card with 12 minutes to play.
"They are better, but we were more focused and could have even scored more at the end," said Levante coach Luis Garcia.
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad moved four points from Europa League positions through its comfortable 2-0 win over the 19th-place Almeria, and Florent Sinama Pongolle gave Zaragoza a 2-1 victory over Malaga with an 87th-minute winner.
The Basque side went ahead right on halftime when center back Ion Ansotegi headed in a pass from Raul Tamudo from inside the six-yard box. Tamudo, a former Espanyol striker, made it 2-0 in the 78th when Ansotegi returned the favor.
At La Rosaleda stadium, Zaragoza striker Nicolas Bertolo canceled out Malaga's 16th-minute opener by Sergio "Duda" Barbosa with a header in the 31st. Just when a draw appeared certain, Sinama's well-placed strike earned Zaragoza's third straight win.
Malaga dropped into last place with its third consecutive loss.
Later, Deportivo La Coruna takes on against Sevilla in trying to end a three-game losing streak.
Also Sunday, Espanyol hosts Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao is at Atletico Madrid.
Racing Santander hosts Valencia on Monday to close round 21.