Barca held at Recreativo

Samuel Eto'o and Marco Ruben scored two goals each to earn a single point for their respective sides that does not help either of their causes.

The out-of-form Barca, without Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta, Rafael Marquez and Deco through injury as well as the rested Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic, remain six points behind the leaders, while Recre are only four points above the relegation zone.

The Catalan side appeared to allay any pre-match nerves they may have had when they swept forward and Giovanni Dos Santos's chipped cross was powered in by a Samuel Eto'o header with barely 60 seconds on the clock.

Marco Ruben equalised with three minutes left of the half with a solid header that goalkeeper Victor Valdes stopped right on the line, only for the lineman to adjudge that it had crossed and gave the goal.

Eto'o repeated the feat of scoring right from the kick off again in the second half, this time chesting a long pass down before firing a powerful shot into the top corner from outside the box.

Ruben was again the man to reply for Recre, and with 20 minutes left he met a long diagonal ball at the far post with a cushioned header that went over the floundering Valdes into the empty net.

Recreativo, just three points above relegation before the match, could have got their equaliser just five minutes after falling behind, but striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle failed to get a touch on Aitor's low cross into the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy.

The former Liverpool striker, with nine goals this season, was denied by Valdes later on in the half when the goalkeeper was quick off his line to block the Frenchman's shot from a tight angle.

Barcelona played plenty of incisive, fluid football but could not carve out too many clear opportunities.

However, just before the break Dos Santos found himself in on goal after a fluid one-touch move, only to see his shot saved well by Stefano Sorrentino.

Following Eto'o's goal just after half time, Recreativo fought back well and had chances through Sinama-Pongolle and Javier Camunas before Ruben scored his second.

Lionel Messi returned from injury to come on as a second–half substitute, but the Argentinian could not inspire his side to a much-needed win on this occasion.

High-flying Racing Santander piled the pressure on struggling Valencia when a late Mohamed Tchite strike gave them a 2-1 win in the Primera Liga at the Mestalla.

Racing took a deserved lead on the hour, midfielder Gonzalo Colsa steering in an angled shot after powering a header against the bar.

Valencia equalised three minutes later when substitute David Villa converted a penalty after fellow striker Fernando Morientes had been brought down in the area.

But Tchite snatched the win when he slotted home at the far post from an offside position after Pablo Alvarez charged down the right and swept a fine pass behind the Valencia back four.

Ronald Koeman's Valencia, who meet Getafe in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, have won just one of their last nine league games and are only six points above the relegation zone in 14th place with all their closest rivals yet to play.

They have won only once at the Mestalla in the last five months and have the joint worst home record in the league with basement side Levante.

Racing remain in fifth place but are now level on 53 points with Atletico Madrid who visit Valladolid on Sunday.