Racing Santander vs. Barcelona: Barca No Closer to Top Despite 4th Straight Win

Twenty-one fouls, six yellow cards and just one lone shot attempt. The numbers pretty much sum up Racing Santander's day against Lionel Messi's Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola's side would have expected to get the result against a Racing team currently sitting in the relegation zone. But with nearly three-quarters of the possession, Barca's dominance was complete.

Barca Threaten from the Start

Twenty-three minutes in, and with Racing yet to get a meaningful touch, Barca took a free kick quickly and played across the top of the area. Cesc Fabregas found Andres Iniesta down the left. Iniesta's first touch cut the ball back onto his right foot and his second touch curled a ball toward the back post that only the crossbar kept out.

Just a few minutes later, Xavi Hernandez went on a slaloming run through the heart of Racing's defense. A pair of tackles came flying in and the ball deflected into the path of Fabregas. He hammered it across the face of goal where a sliding Messi put in the opener.

Barcelona kept up their pressure on Racing's goal, but the match reached halftime with just the lone goal separating the teams.

The Penalty Controversy

Racing came out looking a bit more lively at the beginning of the second. But just 10 minutes in, Dani Alves cut in from the right side of Barca's attack.

Alves played the ball square to Iniesta and continued his run into the area. As Iniesta's first-time pass looped over the defense, Alves was unceremoniously hauled down by a Racing defender. No call.

As lucky as Racing got in that moment, they were just as unlucky the next. Isaac Cuenca got on the end of the Iniesta pass and fired on goal. Racing keeper Mario Fernandez kept it out only to watch the rebound drop for Fabregas on the right.

Fabregas' first touch with his head put the ball beyond Racing defender Domingo Cisma González. The defender put an arm out as the Barca man rounded him and Fabregas went down easily. This time the referee blew for the penalty.

Racing outrage and a Messi penalty conversion later and Barcelona had the comfortable 2-0 advantage.

Racing fans fumed at the penalty call. But as Guardiola pointed out after the match, the penalty was not decisive in a game Barcelona dominated throughout.

Barca had two wonderful opportunities to extend their lead in the last ten minutes, but first Messi and later Pedro Rodriguez were stymied one-on-one with Racing's overworked keeper.

Another Win, but No Closer to Catching Real Madrid

The victory gave Barcelona a fourth consecutive victory in La Liga. But despite finally seeming to round into top form, Guardiola's men have gained no ground on a Real Madrid side that hasn't dropped points in the league since early December.

This time last month, Guardiola insisted the title race was not over. A month later, and with Madrid showing no signs of slowing, time may finally be growing short for the defending champions.