Lionel Messi scores two more as Barcelona thrash Levante
Lionel Messi scores against Levante and now has 82 goals in 2012, three short of Gerd Müller's calendar year record. Photograph: Juan Carlos Cardenas/EPA
Andrés Iniesta twice set up Lionel Messi, created a goal for Cesc Fábregas and netted a brilliant effort of his own as the La Liga leadersBarcelona extended their near-perfect start with a thumping 4-0 win atLevante on Sunday.
Iniesta's masterful performance at Levante's Ciutat de Valencia stadium helped maintain unbeaten Barça's three-point lead over Atlético Madrid, who had earlier crushed nine-man Sevilla 4-0.
"We just need to keep doing what we have been doing, this is the right path," Iniesta said. "Atlético are our closest rivals now and playing very well and they are candidates for the title."
Barça's victory, their 12th in 13 matches, put them 11 points clear of third-placed champions Real Madrid after their rivals were beaten 1-0 at Real Betis on Saturday.
An almost impeccable performance was crowned when Victor Valdés saved José Javier Barkero's late penalty .
Messi's 18th and 19th league goals of the campaign put the Argentine world player of the year within three of the record for the most goals in a calendar year of 85 set by German Gerd Müller 40 years ago. The prolific 25-year-old has scored 70 for his club and 12 for Argentina and is the favourite to win a fourth straight world player award in January.
"We are only in November and the season goes through until May but we are very happy with the way things went today," Barça's sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, said. "Iniesta did a lot of great things but I would say the team as a whole played extremely well."
Málaga are fourth in the table on 22 points after they thrashed Valencia 4-0 on Saturday, level with fifth-placed Betis and two ahead of Levante in sixth.
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