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Guardiola's Men Stay Top Heading Into The Final Day

A goal from Pedro turned out to be the difference as the Blaugrana managed to stay top of the La Liga table despite some late second half pressure from ten man Rojiblancos in Seville. Sevilla lost out to a determined Barcelona side who managed to keep themselves in pole position at the top of La Liga heading into the final match day.

Barcelona went into the game with one thing on their minds, which was putting themselves in the ideal position to wrap up the title. Three points and at least a draw for Athletic Bilbao at Real Madrid would give Pep Guardiola’s men the title. Meanwhile Sevilla needed the three points for a Champions League slot.

In the end both Barca and Madrid picked up all three points, the Blancos blitzing Athletic 5-1 at home, meaning that week 38 will see the trophy given its final destination.

On Saturday night, though the away team strolled to a 2-0 lead in the first half through Messi and Bojan, rarely looking threatened at this point. Pedro added a third before Sevilla staged a mini-come back in the second-half via Fredi Kanoute and Luis Fabiano, but ultimately Barca saw the game out.

Barcelona lead by 1 point
Barcelona started very brightly and created a half chance inside the third minute. Dani Alves raced up on the right to supply support for Messi who obliged with a superb through ball. Unfortunately for Barca the full-back’s effort flew well wide of goal.

However, it did not take them long to get in front. Messi won a free kick and picked himself up quickly. Maxwell played a quick ball over the top, which Messi controlled well on with his chest before firing beyond a helpless Palop in the Sevilla goal.

The Rojiblancos did not get the ball inside Barcelona’s box until the tenth minute. Good passing build-up play ended when Fabiano lofted a ball forwards, which Valdes claimed with alarming regularity. It was looking like it could be a long night for the home side.
 

Inter Milan to the final of the Champions League

Remember the days when it was impossible to score against Italian teams? When Serie A defences were so mean that European attackers would melt in their boots? When hitting just one goal against a side from the peninsula was considered an achievement?

For a variety of reasons - including the backpass and offside rules, disgracefully synthetic footballs, faster pitches, fitter players, zonal marking, and perhaps a slowdown in the production line – Italian club backlines over the last decade had lost their mojo somewhat.

What we saw from Inter tonight, though, was a throwback to some of the great Italian defensive displays from the past. Granted, the Nerazzurri do not possess a single homegrown player in their entire starting XI, let alone their back four, and Barcelona certainly played into their hands with their somewhat predictable short passing game, but it cannot be underestimated what an achievement it is to keep at bay the world’s best attacking unit for over an hour with just ten men. Kudos to Jose Mourinho once again, of course, for getting his tactics spot on.

For long spells of the match, it was almost too easy for the Inter defence. Aside from a world class Julio Cesar finger-tip save from Lionel Messi in the first half, Barca did not create a chance of note for the first 80 minutes. It was only when centre-back Gerard Pique was pushed up-front for the final 10 minutes that the Blaugrana started to ask questions. Bojan missed a virtual open goal before Pique set up a grandstand finish with 83 minutes on the clock. But Inter heroically managed to hold on, even if they had their hearts in their mouth when Bojan had a winner disallowed for a handball by Yaya Toure that appeared to be ball-to-hand.

Wayne Rooney Aims To Return For Manchester United's Last Game Of The Premier League

Game Of The Premier League Season Against Stoke City
England striker eases concerns over his fitness for World Cup.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, the newly-crowned PFA Player of the Year, has eased fears about his fitness for the World Cup, proclaiming that he intends to return for the Red Devils' final game of the Premier League season against Stoke City.

England's talisman was unable to play in United’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday because of an injured groin sustained in training - and there were fears that he could be sidelined for up to a month with the problem.

But Rooney dispelled concerns that the injury could jeopardise his availability for Fabio Capello's World Cup squad, revealing to journalists at the PFA awards ceremony that he intends to return for United's final game of the season at home to Stoke City - a possible title decider. United trail Chelsea by one point in the race for the Premier League crown with two games remaining.

“The groin will be fine for the World Cup, there are no worries about that,” Rooney stated.

“I’m hoping to play for United in the last game of the season.”

That will be music to the ears of both United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and England coach Capello, since Rooney has been troubled by injury concerns since hurting his ankle in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich earlier in the month.

England open their World Cup campaign in Rustenburg against the USA on June 12, but the Three Lions leave for their training camp in Austria on May 17 ahead of a friendly against Mexico a week later.

Rooney was thrilled to receive the PFA accolade and paid tribute to the role Ferguson has played in his career.

"It's a great feeling to win because it's voted for by the players. It's a great honour and I'm really proud.

"I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year award. I saw the players winning the main one and it's something I've aimed for since."

He added: "Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United. His hunger passes through to the players.

"It's great to see that he's pushing 70 and he hasn't changed a bit. I'm sure he'll be at United a long time yet."
 

Barcelona Have Promised Arsenal They Will Not Bid For Cesc Fabregas This Summer

"There was a private conversation that took place in the boardroom and assurances have been made at the highest possible level," Hill-Wood told ESPN Soccernet.

"Arsenal do not expect those to be broken.

"I was not privy to the conversation, but was told about it. They said to us they are not interested [this summer]. It was a recent conversation, as recent as the time that they played us in the Champions League in fact as we got a bit upset because of all the media speculation."

To avoid potentially unsettling speculation in future, the understanding between both clubs is that they will approach each other directly if they ever wish to conduct business — although Hill-Wood believes a bid for Fabregas is unlikely.

"Subsequent to the conversation, if they are interested at any time in the future, they would come to us directly," he said.

"However I'm not sure they are going to do that, because they told us they are pretty happy with what they have got and are pretty happy with their current players."

With Barcelona undergoing a presidential election in the summer, the signing of Fabregas is likely to be a central pledge from all the candidates hoping to replace current incumbent Joan Laporta. But Hill-Wood isn't sure that the midfielder is an obvious target, and wonders if he'd even get in the European champions' first XI.

"If you want my opinion, I'm not sure he would even get in their team," he said.

"Do they need him? I'm not sure that they do. And they said to us they are not interested.

"That suits us fine. Fabregas is an Arsenal player and we want him to remain an Arsenal player. We hope he stays with us for a very long time."

The eyes of the foot balling world will be locked on the Santiago Bernabeu

The eyes of the foot balling world will be locked on the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday night as two of the game’s greatest titans, los Merengues and la Blaugrana, do battle. Locked together at the summit of La Primera Division on 77 points, having spilled only 13 points apiece this season, Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to do battle on Saturday evening at the Bernabeu in what is by some distance the most anticipated fixture of the Spanish season to date.

Though both camps seem to have been at pains to stress this game will not be decisive, there can be little doubt that it is vitally important to both sides, but most notably Real, who simply cannot afford to let their great rivals escape in the league having already crashed out of the Champions League. “There are still many games,” Ezequiel Garay told AS.

“It is clear that all the games we have left are very difficult and we cannot focus only on one.” Undoubtedly Saturday’s clash against Barcelona is the toughest left for los Blancos, who are acutely aware that the Spanish title race has boiled down to the most expensively assembled side ever and the one who have been tagged by many pundits as the best team in the history of the game.

Lionel Messi is the finest player ever to have played the game...

Champions League: Messi 4-1 Arsenal - The Greatest Player You Ever Saw! With the aid of sepia-tinted lenses, nostalgia and memory gaps, it is all too easy for seasoned observers of the game to submit the names of Pele, Cruyff and Maradona as the greatest players of all time. In this day and age, we have to work very hard in order to snatch a full 90 minutes worth of performance from that Holy Trinity. Youtube exists and is a precious commodity for revisiting the old stuff but it is the same tool which prompted Newcastle to buy Nacho Gonzalez. In other words, it can make a player seem as good as it wants to. Without the benefit of objective, critical analysis on a day to day, week to week basis, we can neither dismiss the legacy of the greats, nor can we take it at absolute face value.

In the last decade and a half, with an over-abundance of televisual exposure and the advent of online streaming, we can generally see what we want when we want and plenty of it too. Zinedine Zidane, at Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid led football into the information age and Ronaldinho took up the reins in the middle part of the last decade. Cristiano Ronaldo is still dazzling but rarely has the world been in the presence of such consistent greatness as Lionel Messi. On Tuesday night, we were treated to a display of absolute, undiluted genius.

This was not simply 'another' good showing from the Argentine. We have seen plenty of those already; three hat-tricks in 2010 alone before Leo put Arsenal to the sword with ferocious ruthlessness. Every Barcelona game in La Liga and the Champions League is broadcast to an audience of millions and, even at the tender age of 22, Messi's reputation as one of the best players in the world precedes him. Still, he found the audacity to astound.

Barcelona Hero Lionel Messi Stresses

Importance Of Team Effort After Four Goal Haul Against Arsenal
The Argentinian takes his tally for the season to 39...

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi stressed the importance of the whole team's effort after he scored all four goals in a masterful display of finishing against Arsenal to see the Blaugrana safely through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Although Arsenal took the lead through Nicklas Bendtner, Messi soon took control of the game with a sublime first half hat-trick and the 22-year-old Argentinian finished his mesmeric display with a late second half solo effort to claim his 39th goal from 42 games so far this season.

"I'm very happy. I've always been treated very well by our fans. I feel very good, so happy for this victory. We knew we had to play a game like this in front of our supporters. We started badly but we ended in spectacular way," he told TVE afterwards before turning his focus to the top of the table Primera Liga clash against Real Madrid at the weekend.

"What is important here is that the team keeps on winning. I hope we can continue like this, but we have to keep working. There's plenty to do in the Champions [League] and also in La Liga. Now we've got a very important game and we should keep on working like this."

Messi also noted that it would be difficult to repeat his four goal haul this weekend in El Clasico insisting a win is all that matters. He also stated that he was happy to complete his first UEFA Champions League hat-trick, his fourth of the season in all competitions.

"No, it's very difficult. The most important thing is to win, 1-0, whatever, but to get a win," he remarked.

"This is the first one [match ball] in Champions [League] , so I'm very happy with this."
 

Barcelona's Lionel Messi: To Be A Legend, One Needs To Win A World Cup

Barcelona's Lionel Messi: To Be A Legend, One Needs To Win A World Cup
Messi believes he needs a World Cup title to be considered among the best ever...

Despite only being 22 years old, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is already being compared with the greatest footballers of all time, many deeming him to be better than Di Stefano, Pele, Cruyff and Maradona. But for 'La Pulga' himself, what marks a true legend is glory on the international stage.

"To be a legend, one needs to win a World Cup," said Messi in comments to El Mundo, slighting the many titles he has already won as a player and with his club. "I am 22 years old. Everything is happening very quickly and I have to be calm."

With his feet on the ground and without letting the success rise to his head, the number one player in the Castrol rankings played off having worked in training to score the goals he scores by weaving through a sea of defenders. "They happen because they happen. I do not think before such runs. The important thing is to want it."
 

Barcelona Striker Lionel Messi Hoping To Beat Out Manchester United's Wayne Rooney For European Golden Boot

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has his sights set on catching Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and winning the European Golden Boot.

The Argentina international has been in blistering form lately, netting eight times in his last four league games, including hat-tricks against Valencia and Real Zaragoza on consecutive Sundays.

Messi has scored 25 goals in La Liga this season and with his recent goal glut, the 22-year-old is now in a close competition with Rooney and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba for Europe’s Golden Boot award.

Rooney has scored 26 times in the Premier League this season while Drogba has hit the net 24 times after scoring a brace against Portsmouth on Wednesday.

Messi, who is the reigning World Footballer of the Year, knows that earning the award as top scorer in Europe would be a great honor, especially with players he is competing against for the honour.

"It would be wonderful to win the Golden Boot. I look at the list and it is sensational to see I have scored more goals than Didier Drogba,” Messi told The Sun.

"But to be just one goal behind Rooney is also enormous. Rooney is a big striker and what he is doing is developing into a phenomenal season."
 

Germany Striker Lukas Podolski Attacked Journalist After Loss Against Argentina

The Koeln attacker wasn't too happy with a journalist's comments after the game...

German international Lukas Podolski wasn't too happy with the comments of DSF reporter Christian Ortlepp in the aftermath of the Nationalelf's 1-0 friendy loss against Argentina. The striker attacked the reporter.

"That wasn't your best outing in a German shirt. Your best actions probably took place during the warm-up," Ortlepp was reported as saying to Podolski in the mixed zone.

The Koeln attacker was clearly not amused, and reacted by challenging the DSF reporter to a fight.

"You have a big mouth with all your journalist friends around you, but I'd like to see you coming to my door. Bring it on," said Podolski to Ortlepp before trying to push him in the face.

However, the DSF reporter downplayed the interview later on and denied that Podolski had physically attacked him.

"Lukas probably misinterpreted my words and then overreacted a bit. However, he didn't attack me or anything," said Ortlepp to Express.

Milan 3-1 Atalanta: Orobici Outdone By San Siro Samba Show

The Rossoneri consolidated their position in second with an important victory over the struggling Bergamaschi…

Leonardo’s Milan were desperate to keep the pressure on leaders Inter as they hosted a struggling Atalanta side to the San Siro.

The Rossoneri took command in the opening period when Alexandre Pato scored a brace to punish the visitors for some shortcomings at the back.

After the break the Orobici reduced the deficit when Valdez fired a rocket past Cristian Abbiati. Milan regained command on the hour mark however when Marco Borriello latched onto Ronaldinho’s saved penalty. Despite some late pressure there was no way back for Atalanta and Milan were left to celebrate an important victory on their quest for scudetto glory.

The game started brightly with the visitors immediately going close when Valdez snapped a shot wide of the mark from 18 yards.

Seconds later Milan were given a boost at the news that Inter had gone behind in Udine, and the Rossoneri immediately burst forward in a bid to capitalise on their city rivals shortcomings.

Atalanta continued to battle hard in the middle of the park and this frustrated Leonardo’s men as they searched for space without much joy down the flanks. Despite the lack of space Milan were taking control of possession and the opening goal was looming in the air.
 

Barcelona Star Lionel Messi: We Have To Improve In Order To Beat Stuttgart

Argentine admits lacklustre performance in Germany… FIFA World Player of the Year Leo Messi has admitted Barcelona will have to play a lot better than they did last night if they hope to beat German side Stuttgart and progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

“We’ll have to play better in the return leg than we did tonight,” Messi told the club’s official website following their 1-1 draw in Germany.

Barca went into the break a goal down and Messi revealed he was well aware that his side had to improve if they expected to avoid defeat.

“I can’t remember exactly what the coach [Pep Guardiola] said at half-time, but we knew we had to change things if we were to avoid a defeat.

“I don’t know what went wrong. It’s true that recently we’ve not been playing the same football we are used to, but now is the key moment and we have to get back to that level."

Barcelona will host Die Roten in the second leg at Camp Nou on March 17.

Xavi stands up for Messi over Ronaldo appeal evidence

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has stood up for his team mate Lionel Messi after Real Madrid used video of the Argentine forward to try and get a Cristiano Ronaldo red card rescinded.

Ronaldo was shown a straight red during Sunday's 2-0 win over Malaga after catching defender Patrick Mtiliga with a flailing arm and breaking his nose.

As part of their appeal against the card, Real presented evidence to the Spanish football federation which included video of an incident when Messi used his arms to shake off a Sevilla opponent who was holding him back.

Messi was awarded a free-kick and the RFEF ruled that as the referee had not mentioned the incident in his match report it was not relevant and, in any case, no injury had been caused.

"You have to assess the intention of each player," Xavi said.

"Leo wants to carry on playing and Cristiano wants to break free of the defender with a swipe of his arm," added the Spain international, who is one of Barca's club captains.

"Leo is the number one and you can't damage his image in any way. He's humble, hard-working and always thinks about the group. Not like other footballers."

The RFEF's disciplinary committee decided Ronaldo's actions were not wilful or reckless, which would have meant a longer suspension, but that he had been guilty of dangerous play.

Real have said that if their appeal was unsuccessful they would take the case to Spain's Sporting Disciplinary Committee, a body overseen by the government sports council.

"For me, the (Ronaldo) incident is very clear," Xavi said. "It's a red and the two-match ban is extremely fair."

Xavi Strike Not Enough As Andalucians Progress On Away Goals Rule.

The Blaugrana's hopes of another sextuple winning year has ended after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey...

Barcelona nabbed the only goal of the night through Xavi just past the hour mark but Sevilla denied them a winning aggregate goal despite a ruthless onslaught from the visitors. Sevilla qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on away goals having scored twice at the Camp Nou in the first leg.

Trailing 2-1 at home, Barca coach, Pep Guardiola did not hesitate naming his strongest possible outfield team on a wet, soggy night in Seville.

But it was the hosts who almost took the lead after just two minutes. Jesus Navas' corner found Romaric, whose header was brilliantly parried away by Jose Pinto, before the rebound was blocked by Dani Alves.

But on 63 minutes, Barca pulled the aggregate scores levelled when Romaric's clearance spun off Xavi, but the ball fell kindly back to the playmaker to arrow in a thunderous drive on the edge of the box into Palop's bottom left corner.

A goalmouth scramble with five minutes to go presented Messi with yet another chance, but his low shot was slapped away by Palop.

The pressure from Barcelona was unrelenting as the clock ticked down but in the end, Sevilla held on to hand Pep Guardiola a taste of his first ever elimination from a cup competition as the Andaluz side go on to meet Deportivo La Coruna in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
 

Lionel Messi Wins FIFA World Player Of The Year Award

The Barcelona star beat off stiff competition to be crowned FIFA's World Player Of The Year. Lionel Messi has capped a sensational 12 months in Barcelona colours by being crowned FIFA World Player Of The Year.

Messi, who described his presence at the FIFA Gala as "the culmination of a year that cannot be improved upon", has managed to indeed go one better, sealing the only title still evading him.

The diminutive Argentine beat off competition from the a host of the world’s best including team-mates Andreas Iniesta and Xavi, as well as Real Madrid stars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese having already admitted that "he [Messi] will probably win the award".

The crown capped a quite incredible year for the 22-year-old Argentinian forward who, as a pivotal member of Pep Guardiola’s all conquering Barca squad, beat Estudiantes in FIFA’s Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to lift their sixth title in the last 12 months.

Messi will add FIFA’s prestigious title to pretty much every individual award in European football; having already been crowned UEFA Club Forward of the Year, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and UEFA Champions League Top Scorer amongst a host of other individual titles.

Messi’s incredible achievements will go down as one of the most successful seasons ever endured by a single player in club football history.
 

Messi Heads Blaugrana Into The History Books With Extra-Time Goal

Barca have been crowned the best club side in the world after a dramatic finish to the FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona had to come from behind to steal a 2-1 win against Estudiantes in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Pedro netted an 89th minute equaliser to cancel out Mauro Boselli’s surprise opener, but Lionel Messi struck in the second period of extra-time to etch the Catalan behemoths’ name into the record books.

Barcelona began in their usual manner, pushing forward from the first whistle, with Messi and Dani Alves combining well down the right flank early on.

But just as it was in the semi-final against Atlante, the Spaniards’ yawning defence was exposed after just four minutes when Juan Veron lifted a gorgeous through ball over the backline for Enzo Perez, but Victor Valdes dashed off his line just in time to smother the ball.

Barca had their first opening on eight minutes when Alves’ through ball was touched on by Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Xavi, but the playmaker decided to square it to the backpost for Thierry Henry instead of going for the shot, and ‘Titi’ could only watch the ball trickle out of play at the byline.

Clear cut chances were hard to come by as both sides battled for supremacy in midfield. On 27 minutes, Veron tried his luck from distance when he picked up Leandro Benitez’s delivery from a corner and drilled in a searing half volley from angle, but it flew wide of Valdes’ right post.

Xavi then thought he had earned himself a penalty when he ran onto Messi’s through pass but as he tried to flick it past the on-rushing Albil, he was felt by the shot-stopper, but the referee only signalled for a goalkick.

But on 37 minutes, completely against the run of play, Los Pincharratas surged into the lead. Juan Diaz floated in a perfectly weighted cross from the left and Mauro Boselli ghosted in between Eric Abidal and Carles Puyol to thump a bullet header past a hapless Valdes.

Barcelona responded with Ibrahimovic attempting a ambitious bicycle kick from an indirect Messi free kick, but was marginally beaten to the ball by Albil. Frustration began to show in the faces of the European champions as they continually struggled to find a way to break down the sturdy Estudiantes defence, as the Copa Libertadores winners marched back into the dressing at the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

Pep Guardiola introduced Pedro for Seydou Keita at the start of the second half, but it was Ibrahimovic who almost equalised for Barca when he darted into the box and skipped past Desabato but his low shot across the face of goal bobbled agonisingly wide.

Around the hour mark, Pedro was twice gifted a clear scoring chance right in front of goal when he ran onto a cross from the left but on both occasions, he failed to make clean contact with the ball.

The incessant pressure paid off two minutes from time when the Estudiantes defence lost their concentration and Barca drew level. Pique headed on a high ball from Ibrahimovic to Pedro, who found himself completely unmarked inside the box and the youngster cleverly looped a header over Albil to send the game into extra-time.

Barcelona came firing out of the blocks and Messi first saw an early free kick dip agonisingly over the bar. The Argentine then fired wide from close range after being teed up by Ibrahimovic. The Swede himself then had an excellent chance in the 102nd minute when he was put through by Jeffren, but blasted his shot high and wide.

The South Americans had nothing left in the tank in attack for the final 15 minutes of extra time. But it was their defence who suffered another lapse in concentration as the Europeans finally went in front in the 110th minute. Alves’ pin-point cross picked out Messi, who found himself unattended inside the box as he coolly chested the ball past a despairing Albil from three yards out.

There was one last drama a minute into injury time of extra time when Veron swept in a free kick and Desabato rose high inside the crowded box but sent his glancing header inches wide of Valdes’ left post.

That was the last action of the game and of the tournament as Barcelona held on to claim a historic sixth title this year alone as they return to Spain as the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup champions.