Granada pay the penalty as Barça run goes on

Spanish Liga leaders FC Barcelona extended their unbeaten run with a comfortable 4-0 victory against mid-table Granada CF, who finished the contest with ten men.

If visiting Granada were already up against it, they did themselves no favours by conceding two penalties before half-time – Andrés Iniesta converting the first on 20 minutes and Cesc Fàbregas following suit towards the end of the first period.

The guests' situation worsened when Manuel Iturra was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card on 66 minutes. Alexis Sánchez clipped in a third to kill the game off five minutes later, and Pedro Rodríguez slid in at the back post to round off the scoring.

It is as you were at the Liga summit, with the Azulgrana three points ahead of Club Atlético de Madrid. The capital side fully exploited the 42nd-minute dismissal of Getafe CF's Juan Valera, going on to secure an impressive 7-0 triumph. David Villa and Raúl García both found the net twice, with Diego Costa also on the mark with his 14th league effort of the season.

Still three points adrift of Diego Simeone's side are Real Madrid CF, who were 5-0 victors over struggling UD Almería. The irrepressible Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring three minutes in, with Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco and Álvaro Morata all getting in on the act. In the day's other game, Carlos Vela scored all four goals as Real Sociedad de Fútbol came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 against RC Celta de Vigo.