Late Messi strike gives Barcelona victory

March 3, 2011 -- Updated 0154 GMT (0954 HKT)

Lionel Messi is congratulated by teammate Adriano after scoring the winning goal at Valencia.

(CNN) -- Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the game with 14 minutes remaining to give Barcelona a 1-0 win at Valencia on Wednesday and send them 10 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish League.

Messi converted Adriano's cross for his 27th league goal of the season, as the champions maintained their unbeaten record away from home.

The defeat, Valencia's first since December, leaves the home side just a point clear of fourth-placed Villarreal, who ended a run of four games without a win with a 1-0 home victory over Hercules.

Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi scored his 13th league goal of the season on 21 minutes to seal Villarreal's 11th home win.

In the night's other matches, Athletic Bilbao were beaten 2-1 at Real Zaragoza, the Basque club's fourth successive defeat.

The win lifts Zaragoza out of the bottom three, while Bilbao, who could have gone above Espanyol into fifth, stay in sixth position.

The Madrid derby between Getafe and Atletico Madrid finished 1-1 after Brazilian substitute Elias Mendes levelled for the visitors with just nine minutes remaining.

On Thursday, Real Madrid can close the gap on Barcelona to seven points once again should they defeat Malaga at home.



OPINION: I believe that Barcelona is the best team in the leaugue and i think they are going to win the leauge. I also hope that Real Madrid loses so it would be an even easier to win the leauge for barcelona.