Barcelona's "big three" scored five goals, lifting an easy 5-0 win over Deportivo Coruna to expand their lead in the Spanish Primera Liga on Saturday.
Two goals apiece from Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o and a trademark solo effort from Lionel Messi fired the Barca soaring in the top flight league.
The win conferred Catalans a 12-point lead at the top of the standings as Sevilla's secured a 1-0 home win over Numancia through Renato's late strike, moving the Andalusians above Real Madrid into second.
Messi opened the scoring at the Nou Camp on 21 minutes when he picked up a pass from Xavi wide on the right, raced through a crowd of defenders and wrong-footed keeper Daniel Aranzubia with a low shot off the right-hand post.
Henry netted shortly after with a powerful header from a Daniel Alves cross and Eto'o drove home the rebound from Seydou Keita's header to give Barca a 3-0 lead at the break.
Henry grabbed his second with just under 10 minutes left, side-footing into the net after a pass from Andres Iniesta released Xavi on the right.
Aranzubia was then dismissed after he felled Carles Puyol in the penalty area and Eto'o stroked the ball in from the spot, the league top scorer's 18th goal of the season.
Barca have now amassed a record number of points for the first half of a season, with 50 from 19 matches, eclipsing the previous best of 47 set by Real Madrid last term.
(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2009)
