MADRID (AFP) - Goals from Robert Pires, Joan Capdevila and Nihat Kahveci helped Villarreal to an emphatic 3-0 victory over local rivals Valencia on Saturday.

The win meant Villarreal move up to third in the Spanish first division ahead of the majority of this weekend's fixtures on Sunday.

Pires got the hosts off to an ideal start when he found the net after just six minutes, finishing off a well-worked move in which Nihat provided the telling final pass to the Frenchman.

Nihat himself hit the post twice in the first half and Cani Garcia sent the ball against the bar on the hour before Capdevila got Villarreal's second goal from close range after 62 minutes.

Turkish international Nihat then got the goal his hard work deserved eight minutes later with a sizzling shot from just inside the area which skimmed the bar on its way to the back of the net.

Villarreal now have 38 points from 20 games while Valencia have now gone eight league games without a win in a sorry streak which stretches back to early November.

Spanish league leaders Real Madrid are aiming to bounce back in the derby at local rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday following their shock mid-week Spanish Cup exit to Real Mallorca, when the Spanish giants lost 1-0 at home.

Nevertheless, Real lead the league with 47 points from their 19 games and have a seven-point advantage over bitter rivals Barcelona, with fourth-placed Atletico a further three points further back.

"If we can win then we will definitely have dealt a big blow to our rivals," said Real coach Bernd Schuster whose team have not lost a league match at Atletico in nine seasons.

"I'm optimistic about our chances. However, in their Vicente Calderon stadium, Atletico have to be the favourites. In derbies, the home side always has a slight advantage."

Much to Schuster's relief, his influential defenders Pepe and Sergio Ramos have recovered from slight injuries and are likely to play.

Barcelona face sixth-placed Racing Santander on Sunday but they will be without striker Samuel Eto'o, who has scored four goals in as many league games.

The Cameroon international is away on African Nations Cup duty.

The Catalan club are also without Ronaldinho, who is still recovering from tendinitis in his left knee, but coach Frank Rijkaard has named Lionel Messi in the squad for the first time in a month.

The mesmerising Argentine winger, who is still only 20 years old but who was second in the voting for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award last month, has been absent with a torn muscle in his left thigh.

"Leo isn't ready to play 90 minutes but he's ready to participate and contribute," said Rijkaard on Saturday, keeping his cards close to his chest about whether Messi would start or be among the substitutes.

Champions League last 16 side Sevilla showed the darker side of their Jekyll and Hyde character by going down 3-2 at Getafe on Saturday.

The reigning UEFA Cup holders have been hugely impressive on the continental stage this season but erratic in La Liga and are mired in the middle of the table with only one away win this season.

Things started promisingly for Sevilla when Luis Fabiano opened the scoring after 16 minutes.

The Brazilian, who is the first division's leading scorer, got his 13th goal of the season when he headed home after Getafe goalkeeper Pato Abbondanzieri had failed to properly clear a Daniel Alves free kick.

Getafe midfielder Francisco Casquero levelled after 32 minutes and Juan Angel Albin put the hosts in front with a header just before the hour.

Serbian defender Ivica Dragutinovic looked to have secured a point for Sevilla when he scored with another header one minute from the whistle.

However, Getafe had the last laugh when their Romanian international defender Cosmin Contra, who had only been on the pitch nine minutes, got the fourth headed goal of the game two minutes into injury time.

Getafe's winner will go into much-travelled Contra's scrapbook and not just because it secured three vital points.

It was his first league goal for six seasons.