(MENAFN- Arab Times) MADRID Sept 21 (Agencies): Barcelona overcame a missed penalty from Lionel Messi to return to the top of La Liga with a 5-0 win away to 10-man Levante on Sunday. Neymar opened the scoring with a simple finish from Messi's through ball before the Argentine star missed from the spot for the 12th time in his career after Loukas Vyntra had seen red for tripping him inside the area. However it mattered little as Ivan Rakitic's fierce strike made it 2-0 before half-time and goals from Sandro Ramirez Pedro Rodriguez and Messi rounded off the scoring after the break to make it four wins in four La Liga games without conceding a goal for Barca. Luis Enrique recalled many of his rested stars for Wednesday's 1-0 win over APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League as he made eight changes in all with only Messi Neymar and Dani Alves retaining their places in the side. However only a last-ditch challenge from Rakitic prevented Victor Casadesus turning home Jose Luis Morales's cross at the far post to give the side rooted to the foot of the table a shock lead after 15 minutes. Barca then slowly began to take charge and after Jordi Alba fired wastefully off target Neymar was denied at the end of a flowing move by a brave block from Jesus Fernandez. Colombia striker Carlos Bacca scored twice as Sevilla won 3-1 at Cordoba to remain undefeated and take the provisional lead of the Spanish league on Sunday. Sevilla outclassed Cordoba for most of the match after Bacca opened in the eighth minute from a cross by Aleix Vidal. Stephane M'Bia came on in the 69th and three minutes later added Sevilla's second goal with a header from fellow midfielder Denis Suarez's pass. Borja Garcia halved the difference for Cordoba in the 83rd but Bacca converted a penalty in the 88th after Aleksandar Pantic fouled Victor 'Vitolo' Machin. Also Villarreal roared back from a two-goal deficit to rout Rayo Vallecano 4-2 while Almeria hung on for a wild 2-1 win at Real Sociedad to claim its first victory of the season after having both a player and its coach sent off. Rayo looked set to romp after Gael Kakuta and Alberto Bueno scored goals in the 22nd and 29th minutes at El Madrigal Stadium. But Javier Espinosa sparked the comeback in the 33rd when he finished off Denis Cheryshev's shot that had been parried by goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez. Villarreal dominated from there with Ikechuwku Uche hitting the post three minutes later and testing Alvarez with a header that the goalie did well to push over his bar. Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio headed in the resulting corner kick to level in the 63rd. Substitute forward Luciano Vietto then scored twice in the 74th and the 87th from identical counterattacks started by Jonathan Dos Santos with the ball flowing through Cheryshev on the left flank. Unlike Rayo Almeria was able to cling to its lead on the road. Ahead 2-0 Almeria defender Sebastian Dubarbier received his second yellow card in the 79th and coach Francisco Rodriguez was ejected for protesting after Sociedad's Chory Castro pulled a goal back in the 85th. Ruben Pardo then almost salvaged a draw for Sociedad with a free kick off the post in the 89th. Almeria got its first goal in the 30th when Sociedad goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai swatted the ball off the face of teammate Alberto de la Bella and into the net. Almeria's Tomer Hemed sent the ball off the bar before defender Mauro Dos Santos headed in the visitors' second in the 51st. Sociedad hit the goalframe three times. Carlos Vela curled the ball off the bar in the fifth and Markel Bergara headed a free kick onto the bar in the 53rd before Pardo's late try. Besides the woodwork Almeria was also helped by Ruben Martinez's goalkeeping. Martinez made three one-handed saves to deny De la Bella Imanol Agirretxe and Vela in the first half.
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