Barca, Real, Deportivo
claim home wins
Barcelona beat Espanyol 2-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday, while Real Madrid eased to a 4-1 victory at home to Osasuna as Spain's top two maintained their unbeaten starts to the new league season.
Barca struggled early on against their city rivals but second-half goals from Patrick Kluivert and Luis Enrique clinched what was in the end a comfortable derby win.
With two wins and a draw from three games Barca moved top of the table on seven points.
Real Madrid moved up to second a point further back as an Ivan Helguera double and goals from Guti and Raul gave them their second win in two completed games after last weekend's match at Real Betis was suspended due to floodlight failure.
Deportivo Coruna joined Real on six points with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Valladolid, Roy Makaay getting both the goals in the first half.
The top of the table will see a shake-up on Sunday, as four sides with maximum points play their third matches.
Valencia, who led the standings after the second round of games, will be looking to make it three out of three away to Malaga, who also have six points.
BRILLIANT FINISH
Real Madrid's second home win of the season was set up by a brilliant Helguera finish.
The Spanish international midfielder, playing at centre-back this season, turned in an Esteban Cambiasso pass with a deft backheel on 10 minutes.
Osasuna then kept the home side at bay until early in the second half, when two goals in two minutes from Guti and Raul effectively settled the game.
Gerardo Rivero did pull one back for Osasuna with a penalty on the hour mark but Helguera's second restored Real's three-goal lead with 12 minutes to go.
"We're in good form, with plenty of optimism," said Real coach Vicente del Bosque.
"Games like this are tricky but we knew how to come through."
Barcelona looked short of ideas against Espanyol before Juan Roman Riquelme came on for the start of the second half in a midfield shake-up.
The Argentine forced a fine save from the Espanyol keeper with a freekick on 50 minutes before Kluivert set Barca on their way on 59 minutes by heading in a Luis Enrique cross at the far post.
Luis Enrique added the second himself on 72 minutes, providing a glancing header to a Fernando Navarro centre from the left.
