Real Madrid kept the gap to one point with one match left when a late flurry of goals gave them a 5-1 victory at home to Athletic Bilbao, who also had a player sent off, but Barca now only need a win at home to lowly Real Valladolid next weekend to make sure of the title.
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Barca beat arch rivals Real in both this season's "Clasicos" and have lost only once all season, scoring 94 goals and conceding 24.
Real's final match is at Malaga, who are one place below Valladolid after a 2-1 reverse at sixth-placed Getafe and also fighting to avoid the drop.
"We are not going to lose hope," Real defender Sergio Ramos, who netted his side's third goal, told reporters.
"We have to carry on doing our jobs and if Barca win the league with 99 points they'll have to be congratulated."
La Liga top scorer Messi put them in front in the fifth minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan when he controlled Maxwell's pass on his chest and drilled a low shot past goalkeeper Andres Palop for his 32nd of the season.
Two Sevilla goals inside three second-half minutes from Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano set Barca's nerves jangling, coach Pep Guardiola at one point smashing the side of the dugout three times with his elbow in frustration.
"You can never write off Sevilla and we suffered at times," goalkeeper Victor Valdes told reporters. "We have to keep in mind now that
