Barça put 6 goals past Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderon as they put on an out of this world performance to demolish their "bogey team" in their own backyard.

After Real Madrid's fortunate late victory over Recreativo de Huelva and Sevilla's late comeback at Deportivo la Coruña, Barça knew that anything other than 3 points against Atletí would pretty much see them out of the title race.

After a cagey 38 minutes under the pouring rain in Madrid, in which Barça had already hit the post from a Ronaldinho freekick, Barça found their first goal of the night after Lionel Messi picked the ball up in the midfield, exchanged a sweet 1-2 with Samuel Eto'o at the edge of the area before dispatching a sweet shot past the hapless Pichu in the Atletico Madrid goal.

Two minutes later, Gianluca Zambrotta was played through on the right flank and the Italian fullback produced a wonderful chip to lob Pichu, who was caught in no man's land. Barça were now two up with half time quickly approaching, but that wasn't the end.

That's because Barça still had another goal for the hosts, on the stroke of half time, as Ronaldinho and Deco combined well to produce a cross for Samuel Eto'o to unorthodoxly prod in whilst he was on his way to the ground after being pulled by an Atletí defender.

Barça trod off the pitch at the Vicente Calderon knowing that they had effectively sealed their first ever victory at the ground for 7 years, but the best was yet to come.

Messi nearly got his second of the night after another hash from Pichu in the Atletico goal but covering defenders managed to head his curled effort off the line. As poor as Pichu was, there was nothing he could have done to stop Barça's next goal.

Xavi skilfully got past his marker in the centre of midfield, sent the ball to Deco, who then passed it to Ronaldinho who was on the edge of the area, who then got the ball to Eto'o who instantly played Ronaldinho back the ball and the Brazilian, who was now unmarked and one-on-one with the keeper just outside the six yard box had the relatively simple task of putting the ball in the back of the net.

So good was the goal, that the disgruntled Atlético Madrid fans stood up and applauded Barça for their absolutely breath taking football.

It was now 4-0 to Barça, a scoreline both Atlético Madrid and Barça would have never even predicted in their wildest dreams, but Barça were not done yet!

On 71 minutes, Eller was sent off for a second bookable offence for Atlético Madrid after he bought down Ronaldinho during a Barça counter-attack.

Lionel Messi then added more misery for Atlético Madrid when he found his second goal and Barça's fifth goal of the night with a coolly taken lob over the keeper in the 80th minute.

And if that wasn't enough for Atletí, substitute Andrés Iniesta got the six for Barça after Samuel Eto'o generously passed the balled to the Albacete-born midfielder right in front of the goal with on the comical Pichu in front of them.

This victory reaffirmed that Barça were in no mood to let Real Madrid or Sevilla take this title and it certainly a victory which would have piled on the pressure on Real Madrid.

Next up for Barça is Getafe at the Camp Nou and the team will be looking for revenge after the humiliation they caused Barça in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg two weeks ago.