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MADRID, Spain — FC Barcelona won 2-1 at crosstown rival Espanyol in a Spanish league match on Saturday that was halted for 10 minutes during the second half due to crowd trouble.

Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo took the decision after Barcelona supporters in the upper tier of Espanyol's Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium threw flares at rival fans below.

Some Espanyol fans broke a fence and spilled onto the field in an attempt to escape from the flares.

Espanyol opened the scoring through Ferran (Coro) Corominas in the 20th minute, with Thierry Henry equalizing in the 77th soon after the match restarted. Lionel Messi scored Barcelona's winning goal with an injury-time penalty.

Espanyol was reduced to 10 men just before halftime when midfielder Nene received a second yellow card for elbowing Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets.

Earlier, Villarreal moved top of the league after winning 1-0 at Sporting Gijon with a goal from Giuseppe Rossi.

The striker struck in the 65th minute at Gijon's El Molinon stadium as Villarreal maintained its unbeaten record this season and took a one-point lead in the standings.

Villarreal's stay at the top will only last 24 hours if Valencia wins its home game against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday to reclaim first place on goal difference.

Villarreal stayed a point clear of Real Madrid, which beat Real Betis 2-1 with goals by Gabriel Heinze and Ruud van Nistelrooy to climb into second place.

The defending champions gained their fourth straight win despite playing with 10 men for the final 35 minutes following the dismissal of left back Marcelo.

Villarreal has 13 points from five games. Madrid has 12, with Barcelona and Valencia on 10.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola recalled Henry, who he left on the bench in the team's previous game against Betis, to take the position of centre forward Samuel Eto'o. The France striker had hinted this week he may leave Barcelona if the coach persisted in playing him on the left wing.

Guardiola was rewarded when Henry slid the ball into an empty net after it bounced off goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and defender Daniel Jarque.

Messi converted Barcelona's late penalty, awarded when Eto'o, a 54th-minute substitute, was tripped by defender Nico Pareja.

Espanyol took the lead after Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes had allowed a cross to hit the crossbar, with Coro seizing on the rebound to fire home. Valdes claimed he had been impeded by forward Luis Garcia and received a yellow card for his protests.

Gijon's defeat was its fifth in five matches - in which it has conceded 20 goals - since it returned to the top flight after a decade's absence.

However, the home team - which in its previous two games lost 6-1 to Barcelona and 7-1 to Madrid - gave a much more accomplished display against Villarreal and almost scored in the 41st minute when striker Mate Bilic's header struck the bar.

Rossi, who had entered the field as a halftime substitute, fired the winning goal from a corner by another replacement, Santi Cazorla.

The goal provoked a furious reaction from Gijon players, who claimed Villarreafael van der Vaart's floated free kick from the left.

Betis goalkeeper Casto Espinosa then came to his team's rescue on several occasions to prevent Madrid from extending its lead before halftime. However, the home team also went close in the 45th minute when midfielder Achille Emana's shot was pushed onto the post by Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Betis, without a win this season, levelled in the 54th when Garcia ran in to fire home the rebound after the striker's penalty was parried by Casillas. Marcelo's foul on Damia Abella led to the spot kick and the Brazilian's ejection.

Garcia was also ejected in the 82nd after receiving a second yellow card and van Nistelrooy won Madrid three points with an injury-time strike following a swift counterattack.

Also on Sunday, it's: Atletico versus Sevilla; Malaga versus Valladolid; Almeria versus Recreativo Huelva; Athletic Bilbao versus Getafe; Racing Santander versus Mallorca; and Numancia versus Osasuna.

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