Eidur Gudjohnsen and Javier Saviola scored to help defending champion FC Barcelona defeat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-1 and take a three-point lead in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Gudjohnsen, replacing injured Samuel Eto'o, struck Barcelona's second goal from Xavi Hernandez's pinpoint pass in the 61st minute, while substitute Saviola added the third 16 minutes later to seal his team's victory on coach Frank Rijkaard's 44th birthday.
Saviola hadn't scored a league goal for Barcelona since 2004 as he was on loan to Monaco and Sevilla for the last two seasons.
Bilbao took an early lead in the fifth-round game at its San Mames stadium through Fran Yeste but was then hit by the 19th-minute ejection of left back Javier Casas, and an own-goal by Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora just before the interval.
Barcelona, which is unbeaten this season, has 13 points, while Real Madrid and Valencia have 10 points. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have nine. Bilbao stayed 18th with just two draws from its opening five games.
On Sunday, Real plays Atletico in the Madrid derby, Valencia hosts Gimnastic Tarragona, and Sevilla entertains Getafe.
Bilbao's new president Ana Urkijo _ the first woman to take charge of the club _ attended her first game in the role. Urkijo replaced Fernando Lamikiz, who resigned on Wednesday in the face of criticism of his running of the club.
Barcelona players took the field wearing green T-shirts bearing the message ``Cheer up, Samu'' in Catalan, dedicated to Eto'o. The Cameroon striker tore the meniscus in his right knee during Wednesday's Champions League game with Werder Bremen and is expected to be sidelined for five months.
Midfielder Yeste scored with a meaty volley in the 11th minute from a cross from the left by Fernando Llorente which took a deflection off Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez.
Barcelona's defence then suffered several anxious moments before Casas received his marching orders for holding Gudjohnsen.
The visitors equalized when Bilbao central defender Ustaritz, pressured by rival captain Carles Puyol, deflected Gudjohnsen's cross past his goalkeeper Inaki Lafuente.
Gudjohnsen was replaced 10 minutes after his goal by Argentina's Saviola, who also furthered his claims for a first-team place in the absence of Eto'o by scoring.
Sunday's other games are: Mallorca vs. Villarreal; Zaragoza vs. Levante; Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Sociedad; Recreativo Huelva vs. Real Betis; Racing Santander vs. Celta Vigo; and Espanyol vs. Osasuna.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
