( CNN ) -- Lionel Messi 's sixth hat-trick of 2010 helped Barcelona demolish Almeria 8-0 on Saturday night , but three goals from Cristiano Ronaldo kept Real Madrid on top in Spain ahead of next Monday 's `` Clasico '' clash between the La Liga giants . Messi reached the milestone of 100 league goals for Barcelona in just 154 appearances for the defending champions , and has already scored 22 this season in all competitions . His third goal briefly lifted him above Ronaldo as the league 's top scorer on 13 , putting the visitors seven up before the Argentine laid on substitute Bojan Krkic 's second goal with 17 minutes to play . Barcelona led 5-0 at the halftime break , with Messi breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute after combining well with David Villa . Andres Iniesta made it 2-0 a minute later after woeful defending by Almeria , with his misplaced cross fortuitously rebounding back into his path , then Peru defender Wilmer Acasiete turned Maxwell 's low cross into his own net on 27 . Pedro embarrassed the onrushing Diego Alves eight minutes later as he easily won the race to a long ball in the 35th minute , then soon after Messi netted from the winger 's low cross at the second attempt after the goalkeeper parried his first . Messi helped set up Bojan 's first in the 62nd minute , with the 20-year-old showing nimble feet before dinking the ball over Alves . The beleaguered Alves could only parry Villa 's shot into Messi 's pass for the seventh , and Bojan made no mistake when sent free down the middle to seal the biggest win of the Spanish season so far and leave Almeria in the bottom three . The home side had conceded only 10 goals in 11 games -- the third best defensive record in the league behind Real and Barcelona -- but coach Juan Manuel Lillo was sacked after the match . Barcelona travel to Greece on Wednesday to face Panathinaikos in the Champions League , then host Real in a Monday fixture forced due to security concerns over the Catalan elections that weekend . Real Madrid will take a one-point lead into that match following the 5-1 victory at home to Athletic Bilbao in the late match , as coach Jose Mourinho completed his two-match touchline ban . With the Portuguese boss watching from various positions in the stands , Real almost went behind in just the second minute when defender Pepe had to clear off the line from Fernando Llorente . But Gonzalo Higuain put Real ahead in the 19th minute with a clinical low finish after fellow Argentine Angel Di Maria slipped a low pass into the penalty area , and Ronaldo doubled the lead on the half-hour after Mesut Ozil cleverly knocked the ball into his path . Spain striker Llorente reduced the deficit five minutes before halftime from close range with his ninth league goal of the season , but Real restored their two-goal buffer 11 minutes after the break . Di Maria duped Markel Susaeta into bringing him down just inside the box , and defender Sergio Ramos surprisingly stepped up to smash home the resulting penalty for his first goal of the campaign . Ronaldo effectively sealed the win in the 62nd minute with a swerving free-kick that wrongfooted goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz could only palm into his net . The Portugal forward then netted his 15th league goal this season -- and 17th overall -- from the penalty spot in time added on after substitute Esteban Granero was brought down , despite having to retake the kick after illegally stopping in his initial run-up . Bilbao , who hit the bar through Javi Martinez in the 87th minute , were left in ninth place -- 16 points behind Real . Villarreal retained third place after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to 10-man Valencia , who stayed fourth . Aritz Aduriz put Valencia ahead in the 20th minute with a deflected shot as Villarreal -- who had won all five previous home matches this season -- conceded at El Madrigal for just the second time . Italy forward Giuseppe Rossi gave his side a lifeline in the 73rd minute with a volley for his eighth La Liga goal of the campaign as his team now trail Real by eight points . Valencia lost Lithuania defender Marius Stankevicius to a second yellow card with 10 minutes to go , but held on for the draw ahead of Wednesday 's Champions League clash with Turkish side Bursaspor .
Real Madrid stay one point clear in Madrid after beating Athletic Bilbao 5-1 . Cristiano Ronaldo returns to top of scoring charts on one with a hat-trick . He had earlier been deposed by Lionel Messi , who scored a treble for Athletic Bilbao . Defending champions thrashed Madrid one -0 , which cost home team 's coach his job .