Messi sets a new record

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, right, heads for the ball with Valencia's Jordi Alba during their La Liga soccer match at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, March 2, 2011. (AP Photo/ Alberto Saiz)

Lionel Messi became the first player to score 50 goals in a Spanish season as Barcelona maintained its eight-point lead over Real Madrid in the La Liga title race.

Messi reached the landmark when he scored three minutes from time in his team's 2-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday.

The results:

Spanish League: Valencia 3 (Soldado 60, Jonas 80, Alba 85) lost to Real Madrid 6 (Benzema 23, Higuain 31, 42, 53, Kaka 39, 62); Barcelona 2 (Villa 24, Messi 87) bt Osasuna 0; Athletic Bilbao 2 (Muniain 18, Toquero 29) bt Real Sociedad 1 (Javi Martinez 31-og).

Italian League: Bari 0 lost to Sampdoria 1 (Pozzi 59); Bologna 0 lost to Cesena 2 (Giaccherini 48, Malonga 84); Cagliari 1 (Cossu 47) lost to Fiorentina 2 (Cerci 45, 50); Genoa 4 (Floro Flores 10, 62, Palacio 42, 54) bt Lecce 2 (Di Michele 3, 30); Inter Milan 2 (Sneijder 40, Eto'o 53) bt Lazio 1 (Zarate 24-pen); Palermo 2 (Balzaretti 38, Bovo 45-pen) bt Napoli 1 (Cavani 2-pen); Udinese 0 lost to Parma 2 (Amauri 13, 90); Brescia 0 lost to AC Milan 1 (Robinho 82); Juventus 2 (Del Piero 19-pen, 38) drew with Catania 2 (Gomez 81, Lodi 90).