Bate 0-5 FC Barcelona (Matchday 2 Group Stage UEFA Champions League 2011/2012)

Lionel Messi struck twice as FC Barcelona claimed their first away win of the season in some style against FC BATE Borisov.

Josep Guardiola's side had drawn their previous three games on their travels 2-2, but the run never looked likely to continue in this UEFA Champions League Group H fixture. The home side only had themselves to blame for first-half goals from Pedro Rodríguez and Messi after Aleksandr Volodko had put through his own net. They could do nothing about Messi's second of the night, with David Villa salting their wounds at the death.

On Tuesday Filipp Rudik jokingly suggested BATE would just have to "kick the ball out of play and hope for the best" but for much of the opening period the chance would have been a fine thing. The Catalan giants set up camp deep in opposition territory, pitching the ball one way and then the other. Supposedly part of a three-man defence, Éric Abidal and Daniel Alves rarely ventured into their own half.

Alves was at the heart of the opener on 19 minutes as his deep cross was turned in by Volodko, all too aware of the presence of Messi on his shoulder. The BATE right-back was not the only one harbouring culpability by half-time. Three minutes later Villa's teasing cross coaxed Aleksandr Gutor off his line, allowing Pedro to head into an unguarded net as he peeled off Maksim Bordachev with ease.

It got worse seven before the break when Gutor failed to hold a regulation Villa cross and the ball fell to Messi – the No10 rarely needs an invitation. Goalkeeper Gutor said his "soul was singing" after the 2-0 play-off win at SK Sturm Graz that took the Belarusian title holders through to the group stage; it must have sounded like a dirge as he trudged off for half-time in drizzly Minsk.

The mood darkened further 11 minutes after half-time when Messi combined with Alves on the right, superbly cushioning the return pass before lashing into the roof of the net from 15 metres. It was the 24-year-old's 194th competitive goal for the club, joining László Kubala in second on Barcelona's all-time list: only César Rodríguez (235) is ahead. How lone BATE striker Mateja Kežman longed for such service.

He had none, even if the hosts did improve as Barcelona took their foot of the pedal before Villa got on the act after more lax defending late on. There is work to do before BATE travel to AC Milan on 18 October, when Barcelona host FC Viktoria Plzeň.

FC Barcelona 5-0 Atlético Madrid (Matchday 5 La Liga 2011/2012)

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both netted hat-tricks as Barcelona and Real Madrid had big wins in La Liga on Saturday.

Reigning European champions Barcelona were in thrilling form as they thumped Atletico Madrid 5-0 at the Camp Nou.

Messi struck three times, and further efforts from David Villa and a Miranda own goal sealed an excellent performance from the Catalan giants.

Barcelona dominated early and were 3-0 up after 26 minutes, before Messi netted twice in the second half.

The Argentine completed his hat-trick late on, making a run down the left and drilling a shot through Thibaut Courtois' legs.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid to a 6-2 win over newly promoted Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Two of them came from the penalty spot, while Gonzalo Higuain, Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema were also on the scoresheet.

Jose Mourinho's team had gone behind after 17 seconds - the fastest ever goal at the ground - when Michu scored the first of his brace for Rayo.

Elsewhere, Frederic Kanoute struck the winner as Sevilla took a 1-0 win over Valencia.

The former Tottenham and West Ham United striker netted in the 18th minute, before three players - Sevilla's Piotr Trochowski and Julien Escude and Valencia's Aritz Aduriz - were sent off in the second half.

A second-half goal from Nilmar helped Villarreal secure a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao.

The Brazilian cancelled out Gabilondo's 43rd-minute goal, before Villarreal failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage for the last nine minutes after Borja Ekiza was sent off.

Valencia 2-2 FC Barcelona (Matchday 4 La Liga 2011/2012)

Cesc Fàbregas maintained his record of scoring in every Liga game since joining FC Barcelona as the champions halted Valencia CF's perfect start to the campaign with a 2-2 Mestalla draw.

Cesc Fàbregas continued his free-scoring start to his FC Barcelona career with a second-half equaliser as the champions twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Valencia CF.

An Éric Abidal own goal edged the Liga leaders ahead but the visitors swiftly levelled when Pedro Rodríguez rifled in Lionel Messi's assist. Pablo Hernández's strike looked like it would extend Valencia's 100% opening to the campaign until Fàbregas (77) nonchalantly struck his fourth goal in as many top-flight games.

José Mourinho made six changes – including giving a Real Madrid CF debut to Raphael Varane – from the team that lost 1-0 at Levante UD on Sunday, but the Merengues were unable to breach Real Racing Club's defence in Santander. The 0-0 draw means Madrid have failed to score in successive Liga matches for the first time since January/February 2007.

Club Atlético de Madrid are having no such trouble. The Rojiblancos followed up Sunday's 4-0 defeat of Racing with a repeat scoreline against Real Sporting de Gijón in Madrid, with Falcao adding to his weekend hat-trick with a double.

Levante made it two victories in five days with a 2-1 triumph at Rayo Vallecano, while Santi Cazorla got the only goal against visiting Athletic Club as Málaga CF won for the third straight game without conceding.

FC Barcelona 8-0 CA Osasuna (Matchday 3 La Liga 2011/2012)

Barcelona put recent disappointments well and truly behind them as they resumed normal service with a sensational 8-0 win at home to Osasuna in the Primera Division on Saturday evening.

Pep Guardiola's side had disappointingly drawn their last two matches against Real Sociedad and AC Milan, having been pegged back after taking a two-goal lead against the Basque outfit and then conceding a last-gasp header to Thiago Silva in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

Those 2-2 draws highlighted the need for a leader at the back in the absence of injured duo Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, who had come on as a late substitute against the Italians.

Puyol was back in the side for his first appearance since April, having finally recovered from a knee injury, allowing Sergio Busquets - poor in each of the last two games as a makeshift centre-back - to return to his habitual role in central midfield.

Puyol began in a three-man back-line, alongside Javier Mascherano and Eric Abidal, with Dani Alves pushed forward in an advanced role as an extra midfielder.

And the new system paid dividends early on as both Busquets and Alves played a key part in Lionel Messi's fifth-minute opener.

Busquets picked out Alves' run down the right with a precise lofted pass and the Brazilian headed across the area for Messi, who stretched out his right foot to scramble the ball home at the far post.

Seven minutes later, Fabregas made it two after he was set up by Messi's lobbed pass and blasted a fine volley past Osasuna keeper Andres Fernandez.

Barca had been two up at Real Sociedad after 12 minutes last weekend, but ended up with only a point following the Basques' second-half comeback at Anoeta.

However, there appeared no chance of a repeat here as the Catalans remained rampant, with both Abidal and Messi heading against the woodwork before David Villa made it 3-0 after 33 minutes.

The Spain striker latched onto Abidal's clever through ball, rounded Fernandez and slotted into the empty net to make it look so easy for the home side.

And it was, but Osasuna played their part in their own downfall as well, particularly as Barca went four up six minutes before the interval.

Abidal's long pass from his own half freed Villa, totally unmarked, and although the striker's shot was saved by Fernandez, Roversio could only direct the rebound into his own net.

Moments later, four became five in what looked like a simple training ground exercise, with Xavi threading the ball to Cesc, and the former Arsenal captain turning to set up Messi, who slotted a low shot into the corner to give the hosts an unassailable lead at the break.

Messi then came desperately close to a hat-trick five minutes into the second half as he chipped a delightful effort onto the crossbar, but the Argentine turned provider shortly afterwards as he curled a wonderful pass to Xavi to lob Fernandez for an exquisite sixth of the evening.

Puyol had already departed by then and he was followed off shortly afterwards by Xavi, as Guardiola sought to protect two of his leading lights.

Six goals to the good, Barca's intensity inevitably dropped and Nino came close at the other end, while Osasuna also saw an Ibrahima header ruled out for offside.

The hosts had further chances, though, and Villa curled a rasping effort just over the bar with 20 minutes left.

Six minutes later, Villa did score again as the Osasuna defence gifted the ball to Cesc in the area and the summer signing squared unselfishly for his team-mate to slot into the empty net.

Messi then made it eight as he completed his hat-trick, playing a clever one-two with the brilliant Fabregas and running through the Osasuna defence to slide a routine finish into the corner after some mesmerising build-up play around the visitors' area.

Osasuna will have been happy to have avoided double fugures in the end as they managed to negotiate the final 12 minutes withoug further damage.

The northerners, like Barca, had taken four points from their first two games and are now provisionally in eighth place.

Guardiola's side, meanwhile, move up to second, where they sit two points adrift of Valencia, but the Catalans could also be overtaken by Real Betis and title rivals Real Madrid, who face Levante on Sunday.

FC Barcelona 2-2 AC Milan (Matchday 1 Group Stage UEFA Champions League 2011/2012)

AC Milan secured a gutsy 2-2 draw against European champions FC Barcelona thanks to goals in the first and final seconds of an absorbing match in Catalonia.

Pato gave the visitors a dream start when he notched the quickest matchday one goal in UEFA Champions League history, only for Pedro Rodríguez and David Villa, showpiece scorers last term, to reply either side of half-time. After a Lionel Messi masterclass it looked as if Josep Guardiola's side would top Group H, only for Thiago Silva's added-time header to restrict them to a point.

Milan's opener, after 25 seconds, was a mixture of audacity, vision and power. Pato swivelled in midfield and spotted that centre-backs Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets were holding a high line. His explosive burst between them left the pair in his wake. Pato then dealt with Víctor Valdés, celebrated for his one-on-one saves, by calmly slotting under the advancing keeper. A marvellous way to inaugurate the new season.

It was immediately clear that Massimilliano Allegri had ordered Pato to unleash his pace with Barcelona club captain Carles Puyol starting on the bench. The striker continued to cause trouble until Guardiola placed Éric Abidal on man-marking duties. With ten minutes gone, the hosts had reasserted themselves.

Messi began his personal vendetta against the shock scoreline by forcing Christian Abbiati's first save. For the next 24 minutes it was, simply, the Messi show. His follow-up was a free-kick cracked off Abbiati's left-hand post and just before the half-hour the keeper needed a strong hand to block the Argentinian's low shot. Then again; the breakthrough was imminent.

Barcelona's mercurial No10 was, inevitably, at the heart of it, leaving Mark van Bommel, Alessandro Nesta and Ignazio Abate standing with a searing burst of pace before squaring for Pedro to tap in the equaliser. Both sides made enforced changes before the break – Massimo Ambrosini for Kevin-Prince Boateng and Cesc Fàbregas for Andrés Iniesta.

Within five minutes of the restart Barcelona underlined their champion credentials. From 30 metres Villa hammered a free-kick into Abbiati's top right corner to make it 2-1. The goal brought further Barça possession, but no reward as Milan drew on every shred of experience to stay in the match – harassing, pressing and sniffing openings. Two minutes into added time Clarence Seedorf's corner created one and Thiago emphatically pounced.

Real Sociedad 2-2 FC Barcelona (Matchday 2 La Liga 2011/2012)

Two points dropped (2-2)

Jordi Clos

Barça have drawn at Real Sociedad in a game that seemed under control after Xavi and Cesc had scored early goals. However, the Catalans lost control of things in the second half, and allowed the home to score twice in a minute.

Once again Barça have struggled in a match played immediately after an international break. The starting line-up raised a few eyebrows, with Busquets and Fontàs as the centre backs and Leo Messi among the players on the bench. Pep Guardiola also switched back to a traditional 4-3-3. Everything was going to plan when, in the 9th and 11th minutes, Barça had already put the ball in Bravo’s net twice. But despite dominating the possession, there were no further goals and Real Sociedad salvaged a point with two back-to-back goals shortly after the restart.

Early lead

Barça looked a little unsteady early on, but soon found the way to beat Phillipe Montanier’s strategy – getting behind the Real defensive line, which was taking risks by pushing so far forward. That is how both of the visitors’ goals were scored, the first when Cesc provided a delightful pass to Alexis who then found Xavi, who tapped the ball home. The game had barely resumed before Cesc was in action again, this time supplying Pedro, whose shot was parried away by the keeper, and the former Arsenal man was there to convert the rebound.

Alexis injured

The defending champions could afford to relax now that they had secured a two-goal cushion, and concentrated instead on holding onto possession, frustrating Real as they patiently waited the chance to add to their tally. The game was totally in Barça’s control, who played serious but effective football, and the only sour note of an excellent first half display was the loss of Alexis Sánchez to injury on the half hour. His place was taken by Villa.

Real pull back

Few predicted anything other than more of the same in the second half. Agirretxe did provide a warning when a 57th minute effort narrowly skimmed wide of the post, but worse was to come moments later when the same player pulled a goal back for the Basque side with a tremendous header. Just two minutes later Agirretxe was at it again, this time intercepting a careless back-pass by Villa and chipping the ball over Valdés. Busquets turned the ball onto the crossbar, but Griezman pounced on the rebound to score the equaliser. Guardiola immediately responded by sending on Messi and Iniesta and opting for a 3-4-3 system for the rest of the game.

Barça now found themselves desperately needing a third goal, and upped the ante with a far more aggressive and ambitious approach. Villa, Pedro and Messi all had chances, but the home side had grown enormously in confidence, and buoyed by a vociferous Anoeta managed to hang on to come out of this game with an unexpected point.