Thierry Henry scored on his return to the starting XI as Barcelona thrashed Racing Santander 4-0 in the Primera Liga on Saturday to move five points clear of Real Madrid. Barca coach Pep Guardiola recently leaped to the defense of Henry, who missed the previous three games. The French striker was included in the team's starting line-up after Zlatan Ibrahimovic picked up an ankle injury. He doubled Barcelona's lead in the 29th minute when he drove a free-kick through Racing's wall and into the net. Andres Iniesta earlier put them ahead when a defensive lapse allowed him to slot home from inside the area. A superb curling free-kick from Rafael Marquez in the 34th minute put the result beyond doubt. Youngster Thiago, who came on as a second-half substitute, completed the rout late in the game after being set up by Lionel Messi. Leaders and holders Barcelona, who atoned for their 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid, have 58 points, five ahead of Real who could narrow the gap if they beat Villarreal on Sunday.
