Ronaldinho scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season on Sunday to help FC Barcelona beat Racing Santander 2-0 and increase its lead to three points in the Spanish league.
Ronaldinho curled a 51st-minute free kick over Santander's defensive wall and out of the reach of diving goalkeeper Juan Calatayud for his first goal.
The Brazilian scored again in the 67th when he headed in Deco's swinging free kick from close range to give the defending champions their third victory in seven league games.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A minute later, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi appeared as a substitute, making his first appearance since Nov. 12, when the Argentine teenager broke a bone in his left foot.
However, Samuel Eto'o refused to play for the second time since returning from a four-month injury absence, according to Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard.
The Cameroon striker, who played for five minutes at the end of last weekend's 0-0 draw with Osasuna, refused to leave the bench after assistant coach Eusebio Sacristan instructed him to prepare to enter the game.
"He didn't want to go on," Rijkaard was quoted as saying by news agency Efe. "Personally, I think it was a shame because every minute can be important."
Eto'o may now be fined by Barcelona, reports said.
Also, Mario Cotelo, Daniel Guiza and Nacho Perez each scored second-half goals to give Getafe a 3-0 win over Valencia.
Valencia's second defeat in three games left it in fourth place, hitting its hopes of repeating its title triumphs of 2002 and 2004.
In a late game, Atletico Madrid beat visiting Athletic Bilbao 1-0.
Barcelona improved to 46 points, while Sevilla has 43. Madrid is next with 41 points, two more than Valencia and Atletico.
Santander lacked two suspended forwards -- the towering Nikola Zigic and the diminutive Pedro Munitis -- but still gave Barcelona a scare in the 25th minute when the visitors were awarded a penalty.
However, goalkeeper Victor Valdes dived to parry Ezequiel Garay's spot kick, which was awarded after defender Juliano Belletti had grappled with Santander's Juanjo Exposito.
Valencia, playing without suspended top scorer David Villa, failed to convert three clear chances in the first half, the culprits being Spain internationals David Silva, Joaquin Sanchez and Miguel Angel Angulo.
Cotelo scored with a rising angled shot from Guiza's pass in the 46th minute, with Guiza hitting a low shot past Santiago Canizares 12 minutes later for his seventh goal of the season.
Nacho scored the final goal in the 79th minute when he pounced after Javier Casquero's shot rebounded off the post.
Valencia also lacked central defender Roberto Ayala, who was ill.
The Argentina international said this week he will join Villarreal when his contract ends in June.
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