Real lost their lead in the race for the Spanish championship when a Lionel Messi-inspired Barca won Sunday's El Clasico 3-2 at the Bernabeu to close the gap and take pole position on goal difference.

The Catalans threw down the gauntlet to their foes from the capital city by hammering Osasuna 7-1 earlier on Wednesday -- a result that helped hasten the Pamplona club's relegation -- and Real responded positively as a team missing Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema ran riot.

Regular substitute Alvaro Morata again proved he has more ability than that of an understudy by opening the scoring inside a minute and Rodriguez made it 2-0 before 15 minutes were up.

Pepe Mel's Deportivo, after a campaign of struggle now mathematically safe from the drop, gave the visitors food for thought with a goal 10 minutes before the break, but Lucas Vazquez re-established the healthy cushion heading into half-time.

Colombian attacking midfielder Rodriguez staked his claim for more game time, or perhaps a reprieve from Zinedine Zidane's rumoured summer transfer list, with a second after the hour mark and Isco capped an impressive creative display with a goal of his own 11 minutes later.

Former Real Madrid B striker Joselu -- on loan from Stoke -- briefly reduced the deficit but Los Blancos always had another goal in them and that honour fell to Casemiro.

Lionel Messi scored a pair of goals in Barcelona's rout of Osasuna.

Barcelona blitzed Osasuna with four goals in 10 second-half minutes for a 7-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Luis Enrique rested several of his regular starters, including Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba -- an understandable move following gruelling matches against Juventus and Real Madrid, and before the weekend's derby at Espanyol.

It seemed it would not matter much after Lionel Messi struck early and Andre Gomes extended the lead before half-time.

However, the decision might have been briefly questioned when Roberto Torres pulled a goal back at the start of the second half.

However, Gomes and Messi both got their second goals of the evening either side of the hour mark to put the game to bed and Paco Alcacer and Javier Mascherano, the latter from the penalty spot, quickly added gloss to the scoreline with just 67 minutes on the clock.

Alcacer became the third player to net a double with four minutes remaining.

A second-half double from Luciano Neves, the second from the penalty spot, either side of Miguel Guerrero's goal saw Leganes halt a four-game losing run and win for the first time in eight league matches with a victory against Las Palmas.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad kept alive their hopes of European football with a 3-2 victory at Valencia.

Diego Alves' first-minute own goal, a Willian Jose penalty and a Mikel Oyarzabal strike had Sociedad firmly in control at the midway point of the second half but quickfire goals from Luis Nani, a penalty, and Simone Zaza set up a tense finale at the Mestalla.

Sociedad are up to sixth in the table after a third victory in four games while Valencia are now without a win in three.