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Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 victory over Levante to reclaim pole position in La Liga Sunday.After Real Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday, Hansi Flick's side moved a point clear of their bitter rivals with a comfortable victory at Camp Nou against the team in 19th.Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong gave Barca a commanding first-half lead and Fermin Lopez wrapped up the win with a sensational drive late on.Barcelona were glad to get back to winning ways after a 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg last week and then a 2-1 defeat by Girona on Monday in La Liga."It was a really bad moment for us but in the end today we gave a good response," Flick told reporters."It's important now to be on top of the table but in the end there's a long way to go."Despite Flick's calls for improvement in defence, Barca were as open as ever, although Levante's poor finishing meant they could not capitalise.Bernal sent Barca ahead after good work by Joao Cancelo, who impressed on a rare start after his arrival on loan in January, and Eric Garcia.It was Bernal's second goal since returning from a long-term knee injury, which kept the 18-year-old out of action for over a year."I thought of my father (in my celebration) and my physio - he told me I would score and he has helped me a lot in this process," Bernal told Movistar.Veteran Polish forward Robert Lewandowski could have doubled Barca's advantage but fired into the ground and over the bar when well placed.Cancelo hit the post with a cross aimed at Lewandowski, before the Portuguese defender carved out the second for De Jong with a similar ball in from the left.De Jong delivered the finishing touch to give Barca a two-goal lead at the break."Joao today he showed his strength, his positive things, he gave us a lot of moments, great chances, for me it was a really good game from him and this is what I want to see," said Flick.Lopez rocketGarcia should have expanded Barcelona's advantage early in the second half but nodded wide from Jules Kounde's tempting cross.Eventually substitute Lopez got a spectacular third, rattling home a long-range effort in off the post.The midfielder might have added a fourth late on but Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan denied him with an excellent reflex save, after first thwarting Raphinha.Flick was able to bring back midfielder Pedri as a substitute after a month out with a hamstring injury, with the Spaniard likely to be key in the testing weeks ahead.Defeat leaves Levante seven points from safety."In the first half we had some chances that, if we put them away, could have got them to doubt themselves," said Levante midfielder Carlos Alvarez."If we'd have gone in front, who knows what could have happened."Earlier Sevilla earned a 1-0 win at Getafe, while third-placed Villarreal host Valencia later on. 

Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the season with a swashbuckling 4-1 victory over Levante on Tuesday, as Vinicius Jr orchestrated the first-half demolition before Kylian Mbappe's second-half brace sealed a comprehensive win.The result keeps Real Madrid comfortably atop the standings on 18 points after six matches, stretching their lead to five points over reigning champions Barcelona, who have a game in hand ahead of Thursday's clash at Real Oviedo. Levante languish in 16th place on four points.It was a particularly satisfying night for Vinicius Jr, who was under scrutiny after a mixed start under new manager Xabi Alonso. Before Tuesday, he was yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Real Madrid at the start of the season and started on the bench on two occasions.But he produced an excellent performance against Levante and was rewarded by playing the full game and finished the match wearing the captain's armband. Vinicius Jr set the tone with a moment of brilliance in the 28th minute, unleashing a strike from the right side of the box using the outside of his right boot that went in just inside the far post.The Brazilian turned provider 11 minutes later, threading Franco Mastantuono through down the right channel in a lightning-fast counter-attack. The youngster burst into the box and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner from close range to double Madrid's advantage.Real could have entered the break with an even more commanding lead had it not been for Levante's Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, who produced crucial saves to deny efforts from Vinicius, Federico Valverde and Mbappe in the opening 45 minutes.Levante briefly threatened a comeback when Ivan Romero's 54th-minute effort deflected off Dean Huijsen and lobbed over the wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois, allowing Etta Eyong to head home the loose ball at the far post. However, Mbappe restored Madrid's two-goal cushion nine minutes later, converting from the penalty spot with a cheeky chip down the middle after Levante captain Unai Elgezabal fouled him in the box, as Ryan dived helplessly to his left.The French forward completed his brace three minutes later, collecting Arda Guler's long pass through the middle before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping into an empty net. Real Madrid face a stern test away at city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday, while Levante play Getafe in the Spanish capital on the same day."Vinicius has played a decisive and very important role tonight," coach Alonso told a press conference. "We are in a phase of growth, of construction. We are in the beginning of the season and there is still a long way to go. We are still building a solid foundation to be competitive in the Champions League, LaLiga and the Copa del Rey."I see the players feeling energised and connected, which is important. There are still things to improve, things we can do better, but we are on the right track."