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 .
Lionel Messi scores for the sixth game in a row as Barca defeat Atletico 3-0 . Real Madrid stay top of the Primera Liga table after defeating Recreativo 2-0 . Sevilla 's crisis continues as they lose their four league match in succession .