Barcelona: Barcelona were convincing victors as they thumped Levante 5-0 at Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday to keep the pressure on Real Madrid at the top of the table ahead of next weekend's clasico.
Madrid and Barcelona heightened the anticipation for their first clasico of the season when they cruised to convincing wins. Madrid dealt Sporting Gijon a 3-0 home loss, while Fabregas scored a first-half brace to spark the defending champions' 5-0 rout.
Fabregas grabbed a brace before Isaac Cuenca gave the home team a 3-0 lead at the break. Lionel Messi and Alexis Sanchez completed the rout in the second half.
The result leaves Pep Guardiola's men three points behind Madrid, who have a game in hand over their fierce Catalan rivals, while Levante remain in fourth spot.
Guardiola returned to a three-man defensive line, thereby allowing Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Fabregas to overwhelm Levante in the midfield. Levante were missing their two most dynamic players - midfielder Jose Barkero and forward Juanlu Gomez - and didn't look like the revelation of the season that had previously spent two rounds at the top of the table.
Barcelona started the game brightly and were a goal to the good after only four minutes. Messi found Andres Iniesta, who saw his quick-thinking back-heel trickle to the feet of Cesc Fabregas on the edge of the Levante penalty area. The former Arsenal man controlled the ball before carefully placing it into the bottom corner of the net.
"It is important to score early because teams like (Levante) know how to close well in defence," Fabregas said.
In the 20th minute the Catalan club could have doubled their lead but Gustavo Munua was on cue to deny the home side as he parried Messi's free-kick from 20 metres. From the rebound, Carles Puyol could not make clean contact from close range, with Munua eventually claiming the ball cleanly.
The lead was doubled in the 33rd minute and it was Cesc again who got the better of Munua. Xavi whipped an inviting free-kick into the box and Fabregas leaped highest to power his header into the top corner, leaving the keeper helpless as Barcelona grabbed a rare goal from a set-piece.
Guardiola's men were three up in the 37th minute with a wonderful team goal that was coolly finished by youngster Isaac Cuenca, who registered his second Barcelona goal. Messi's clever run saw the Argentine slide the ball to Iniesta, who then quickly moved it to Cuenca just inside the box for the winger to strike into the bottom - an instinctive finish from the Masia youth product to give his team a comfortable lead at the interval.
Barcelona were 4-0 up in the 55th minute when Messi grabbed his 17th Liga goal of the season to draw level with Cristiano Ronaldo. Substitute Dani Alves slid a precise through ball to the 24-year-old, who made no mistake in slamming his shot into the bottom corner of the net.
In the 61st minute, the home side made it five with a devastating counter-attack. Messi found Alexis Sanchez just inside the box in a yard of space. The Chilean attacker controlled the ball before lifting it over Munua via a slight deflection off Asier Del Horno for his third goal in a week.
Iniesta had a sixth goal controversially chalked off for offside in the 88th minute as the Blaugrana comfortably kept another clean sheet this season.
"It is good to win by a big scoreline because it gives us confidence heading into such a big game (at Madrid)," Barcelona's Javier Mascherano said. "The sensations are positive. It will be a spectacular game and everyone is excited to play it."
Elsewhere, second-half substitute Roberto Soldado scored his ninth league goal of the season to lift Valencia to a 2-1 win over Espanyol, staying four points behind Barcelona in third place.
Barcelona are next in action on Tuesday evening when they face BATE Borisov in the Champions League at Camp Nou before travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu on December 10 to face Madrid.
The fierce rivals head into the contest at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium next Saturday in excellent form, with Madrid extending their winning streak to 14 games in all competitions and Barcelona improving their home scoring margin in league play to 39-0.
"I know people can't wait until next Saturday," said Fabregas, trying to downplay the occasion. "(But) the league doesn't just come down to key games like the one at the Bernabeu. It is very long and you have to take it one game at a time."
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