Clear leaders (3-1)

Barça have opened up a three point gap at the top of the Primera Liga with a fantastic 3-1 win over close rivals Sevilla at the Camp Nou. Two goals from Ronaldinho and a superb finish from Lionel Messi capped a professional performance.

This Barça team have class written all over them. They know how to play pretty and they know how to play hard when they have to. Important attributes if you want to sit three points above the chasing pock in a division as competitive as ever. Sevilla were well organised, of course, but Frank Rijkaard's side proved to be more than a match for their Andalusian opponents.

Barca dominate early on

There were numerous changes to the starting eleven that the Dutch manager put on the pitch. Belletti and Motta came in to a team which was missing club captain Carles Puyol and Portuguese wizard Deco, the only player to have previously survived the rotation policy. Less of a surprise was the inclusion of Lilian Thuram, who partnered Marquez in the centre of defence.

The first quarter of the game was all Barca. Ronaldinho, playing with the movement and freedom we were all craving to see, had the first shot of note and although Palop saved comfortably it was a warning of what was to come. In the 13th minute, the first big chance came. Ronaldinho and Sylvinho combined well and the Brazilian full-back was desperately unlucky to see his shot come back off the visitor's post.

Sevilla gradually came back into the match. The defensive midfield combo of Poulsen and Renato managed to push Xavi and Iniesta back, stifling the Barca midfielders' creative flow. The game was beginning to resemble the Supercup final when Barça's central midfield pairing of Xavi and Deco were snuffed out by Sevilla's industry and bustle. Frank Rijkaard had learned the lesson from that infamous night in Monaco, giving Ronaldinho the freedom of the pitch to express himself and throw off the shackles of Daniel Alves who had man-marked him so convincingly that night.

Ronaldinho from the spot

In the 25th minute the first goal arrived. Just two minutes earlier, Sevilla had a headed goal by Luis Fabiano annulled for a foul on Motta by Escudé. Barca raced up the pitch and the same player committed another foul this time in the Sevilla area on Belletti. The Brazilian was injured in the challenge and the damage to his right shoulder was enough to force Rijkaard to bring on Zambrotta in his place. Ronaldinho made no mistake from the spot to open the scoring in favour of the home team, Palop given no chance as more than 91,000 exploded with joy.

Fascinating first half

The best was yet to come in an intriguing game. Iniesta and Xavi began to grow in stature and the ball fizzed around the pitch with venom. Sevilla were equal to the task and Renato missed a glorious opportunity to equalise, only a wonderful save from Victor Valdes preventing a goal. Two minutes later, in the 36th minute, the equaliser came. Freddie Kanouté finished off a fabulous move by the UEFA Cup holders following fine work from Navas and Renato. Ronaldinho wasn't about to be upstaged however and after being fouled just outside the area, the Brazilian picked himself and sent an unstoppable free-kick past Palop. It remained 2-1 as a pulsating first half came to an end.

Juande dismissed

Juande Ramos made two changes for the second half, Martí and Drago coming on for Puerta and Luis Fabiano. The idea was to introduce more steel into his side's play above all with the entrance of the ex-Mallorca man. Renato also moved up to play alongside Kanouté in attack. Despite the changes, Barca continued to control proceedings. With Thuram, producing a solid performance at the back and also breaking up play in front of the defence, Rijkaard's men looked comfortable with their lead.

In the 68th minute of the game, Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos was sent off for repeatedly complaining about the referee's decisions. Following his dismissal the game eased off in terms of quality but not intensity. Messi produced a moment of magic in the 69th minute to put Iniesta through on goal. The Catalan midfielder felt he was impeded as he bared down on goal but the referee wasn't interested and Messi was unable to score as the ball broke free. The biggest applause of the night came shortly after as Ronaldinho was substituted for Guily to a standing ovation. Rijkaard clearly had one eye on the upcoming Chelsea match in midweek and the Brazilian had been back to his outstanding best.

Messi does a Ronaldinho

There was still time for a Leo Messi special to get the crowd on its feet again. After terrific work by Xavi down the right wing, Messi collected his cross and beat three defenders before slotting home past Palop. A classy goal in true Ronaldinho style. The goal killed the game off and although Sevilla worked hard to claw their way back into the game, Barca kept the ball well and never looked like letting their opponents back into the game. In the last minute, Rijkaard brought on Saviola for Eidur Gudjohnsen.

More than three points

Barça and Sevilla go head to head for the first time since the European Supercup final in Monaco. Frank Rijkaard's men will be seeking to avenge that defeat and get a good result ahead of next weekend's trip to the Bernabeu.

The three points are clearly important but there is more to it than that. This is the chance to beat a direct rival for the title. It is also about avenging the devastating 3-0 loss in the Supercup final. If that wasn't enough, with Real Madrid losing to Getafe on Saturday, a win would put Barca 5 points clear of their greatest rivals ahead of the visit to the Spanish capital.

Puyol out

Barça will be without captain Carles Puyol . The Catalan defender is being rested for the trip to Stamford Bridge in midweek along with full-back Gio van Bronckhorst. Puyol's absence should see Thuram and Marquez form a formidable presence in the centre of the champion's defence.

The Alves - Ronaldinho duel

One of the most compelling individual battles on the pitch will be between Ronaldinho and Daniel Alves. The Brazilians faced each other in the Supercup final and it was the Sevilla full-back who came out on top although at the time Ronie had missed most of pre-season. We will wait and see if Rijkaard keeps him out on the left or chooses to give him a free role.

Saviola and his past

Javier Saviola , if he plays, will get the chance to play against his old teammates. The Argentine striker was on loan in Seville last season and he had a marvellous end to the season, helping Sevilla win the UEFA Cup. Saviola knows all about Juande Ramos' side and could be a useful weapon in Frank Rijkaard's armoury.

Iniesta on fine form

One of the most mouth-watering prospects is the chance to see Andres Iniesta play . The Barca youngster is on top form having played in all but one of the league games so far and he will be hoping to make it into the Dutchman's starting line-up. With superb vision for a pass and a quickness of thought that belies his relative youth, Iniesta could well be the one to break down the stubborn Sevilla defence.

Sevilla: solid as a rock

Juande Ramos has built his Sevilla side on solid foundations. The ex-Barca B boss inherited a decent squad from the departing Joaquín Caparrós and with hard work he has fine-tuned them into one of the most competitive teams in Europe. The UEFA Cup Champions have added the Dane Poulsen from Schalke 04, Hinkel from Stuttgart, Duda from Malaga and Chevantón from Monaco to an already impressive squad.