Ronaldinho celebrates after scoring one of his two goals against Zaragoza on Sunday. (Reuters)

Madrid: A magnificent Ronaldinho led Barcelona to a dramatic 3-1 comeback win over Real Zaragoza at the Nou Camp on Sunday, a win that moved them back to the top of the Primera Liga.

After the European and Spanish champions had fallen behind to an early strike from Zaragoza’s Gabriel Milito, the Brazilian playmaker headed Barca level in the 30th minute.

Then, with both sides reduced to 10 men, he curled a superb free-kick into the top corner with four minutes remaining, and in time added on struck another against the crossbar which Javier Saviola put in with his head.

Barcelona are top with 23 points, one ahead of Sevilla who were held to a goalless draw away to Racing Santander.

Four goals from Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy earned Real Madrid a convincing 4-1 away win over Osasuna that put them third on 20 points.

The former Manchester United frontman scored three before halftime and rounded off an impressive display with a fourth near the end.

He became the league’s joint top scorer with eight goals along with Ronaldinho, Sevilla’s Frederic Kanoute and Zaragoza’s Diego Milito. It was his second hattrick of the season. The other was against Levante in a 4-1 away win in September.

Getafe are level on 19 points with Zaragoza but fifth on goal difference after midfielder Nacho pounced on an error from Real Mallorca goalkeeper Toni Prats to give Bernd Schuster’s side a 1-0 win.

Valencia who drew 1-1 at home against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday are a point back in sixth place.

The traditionally hostile reception given to Real in Pamplona ensured a turbo-charged opening as Osasuna tried to impose themselves early on. Cameroon striker Pierre Webo had just headed over the bar from a good position when Real struck in the 12th minute to take the wind out of the home side’s sails.

Robinho’s long-range effort was too powerful for goalkeeper Ricardo to hold and Van Nistelrooy was on hand to slot the loose ball into the net.

Real doubled the lead in the 27th minute when Guti and Robinho combined well on the edge of the area, but as a defender intervened the ball spun clear to Van Nistelrooy, who poached his second at the far post.

The game was effectively settled just before the break when Raul’s pass put Van Nistelrooy through on goal and he scored left-footed inside Ricardo’s near post.

Former Real player Valdo pulled a goal back for Osasuna with a header from a corner in the 64th minute.

But it was Van Nistelrooy who had the last word, collecting a pass from Emerson wide on the left, advancing and then curling a side-footed shot inside the far post from the edge of the area, six minutes from time.

Two attack-minded teams put on a pulsating display of open football in the Nou Camp as Zaragoza decided to take Barcelona on at their own game.

After being forced to soak up intense early pressure Victor Fernandez’s side scored from a corner in the 16th minute when Argentine defender Gabriel Milito arrived unmarked to volley home from close range.

Barcelona’s defence looked shaky but they drew level when Ronaldinho rose to head Deco’s corner in at the far post.

The game erupted in controversy midway through the second half as Diego Milito’s theatrics got Barca’s Thiago Motta sent off in the 72nd minute, as he fell to the floor clutching his face after Motta’s hand brushed his chest in a challenge.

After three minutes of heated protests from Barcelona the game resumed and immediately Saviola was pulled back by Gabriel Milito after he let the ball slip under his foot as the last man back. A red was shown and he followed Motta down the tunnel.

Ronaldinho proved the decisive figure at the end with two stunning freekicks to bring to an end a breathless match.

In Serie a action, a dramatic stoppage-time strike by Julio Cruz gave Inter Milan a 2-1 win at Parma on Sunday to keep pace at the top of Serie A with Palermo who enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Torino.

Inter seemed set to slip back to second in the division after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s early goal was countered by Parma striker Igor Budan.

But Cruz’s late goal gave Inter 27 points from 11 matches, level with Palermo who had brushed aside Torino in an earlier match with goals by Eugenio Corini, David Di Michele and Amauri.

AS Roma lie third on 23 points after Francesco Totti scored twice in a 2-1 win at AC Milan on Saturday.

Palermo’s victory, their fifth in a row in Serie A, equalled the club’s best winning run in the division, which dates back to the 1961-62 season.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Tommaso Rocchi and Stefano Mauri each scored twice as Lazio thrashed Udinese 5-0.

Reggina finally cancelled out the 15-point penalty they received in the match-fixing scandal with a 1-0 win over Siena.

In English Premiership, rare goals by French midfielder Mathieu Flamini and Ivorian defender Kolo Toure set Arsenal on their way to an emphatic 3-0 victory over Liverpool and third place in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arsenal are still 10 points behind leaders Manchester United, who have 31, and are seven points adrift of champions Chelsea, albeit holding a game in hand.

Defeat for Liverpool left them drifting in mid-table and reflected a dismal away record in which they have taken only point from six games.

Liverpool left France’s Gallas completely unattended in the six-yard box to head home Arsenal’s third from a Van Persie corner.

This was Liverpool’s biggest defeat by Arsenal since a 4-0 drubbing in the old first division in April 1992.

Earlier on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur’s 10-game unbeaten run came to an end when Reading came from behind to beat them 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium.