Viktoria Plzeň 4-0 FC Barcelona (Matchday 4 Group Stage UEFA Champions League 2011/2012)

Lionel Messi netted his 200th goal for Barcelona during a 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Messi's landmark strike was his first goal in a hat-trick scored at the home of the Czech champions.

The Argentine's goals helped his side move two points clear at the top of Group H, as second-placed AC Milan could only draw 1-1 with BATE Borisov.

Plzen started the match full of running and tried to take the game to their illustrious opposition at the Synot Tip Arena.

Milan Petrzela burst through a static Barca back line only to be thwarted by goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who produced a strong left-handed save to stop the hosts from taking a surprise early lead.

Daniel Kolar then wasted another chance, blazing a half-volley high and wide after being found in space inside the box.

But Plzen's encouraging start came to nothing, and they found themselves behind after 10 minutes when Messi had his legs taken away from him by Marian Cisovsky inside the box.

The livewire forward picked himself up to score from the spot, and Cisovsky was shown a red card for the foul.

The away side began to toy with their opponents, exploiting the gaps created by Cisovsky's dismissal.

Two minutes into first-half injury time, Messi played a delightful one-two with Adriano before sliding his finish past Roman Pavlik in the Plzen goal.

Cesc Fabregas made it 3-0 on 71 minutes with a headed effort, getting on the end of Isaac Cuenca's perfectly-weighted cross.

Messi then completed his hat-trick, adding gloss to the score-line with a well-taken finish after rounding Pavlik in stoppage time.

Also on Tuesday, AC Milan gave up the lead to draw 1-1 away to Belarusian side BATE.

Milan opened the scoring 22 minutes into the match at the Horodskiy Stadium.

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic disposed defender Marko Simic and played the ball to strike-partner Robinho, before receiving the return pass and finding the back of the net.

Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati was forced into two good saves from BATE forward Maksim Skavysh following swift counter-attacks by the home side.

Robinho should have extended the lead when he hit the post just before the break, and the Serie A champions were left to rue that missed opportunity when Ignazio Abate fouled Artyom Kontsevoi inside the box 10 minutes into the second half.

Renan Bressan scored from the spot to make it 1-1.

Kevin-Prince Boateng had a chance to snatch victory late on for Milan but BATE survived, claiming a credible point against their heavyweight visitors.

FC Barcelona 2-0 Viktoria Plzeň (Matchday 3 Group Stage UEFA Champions League 2011/2012)

FC Barcelona 5-0 Mallorca (Matchday 10 La Liga 2011/2012)

Lionel Messi answered his critics with a superbly taken hat-trick inside the opening half-hour at Camp Nou as the Barcelona thrashed Mallorca 5-0 in La Liga.

The Argentine striker had gone three matches without scoring, evoking criticism for his recent performances but Barcelona’s No. 10 responded in emphatic fashion.

Messi’s first came courteous of a penalty which he thumped home into his top right corner leaving the ‘keeper no chance, and the Argentine turned in his second of the night just six minutes later.

Goal number 199 followed when Dani Alves’ inch perfect cross was turned home on the half-volley.

Isaac Cuenca added a fourth with his first senior goal and stunning Dani Alves strike late on helped lift Barcelona to the top of la Liga ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Sociedad.

Barca dominated the early possession but it was Mallorca who came closest to taking the lead when Joao Victor burst onto a low cross only to divert his shot wide of the target.

And Mallorca were left ruing that miss when they found themselves a goal down not long afterwards when Emilio Nsue handled inside the penalty area giving Messi the chance to end his goal draught. The Argentine steadied himself before converting the spot-kick in emphatic fashion rifling the ball into the top corner of the net.

Youngster Cuenca then tormented Pedro Bigas before sending a devilish cross to the far post which Adriano volleyed, somewhat fortunately, into the path of Messi, who tapped home from close range to double Barcelona's lead 21 minutes in.

Lionel Messi had completed his hat-trick inside 30 minutes with a beautifully taken half-volley after Dani Alves swung a cross into the Argentine's path and he struck the ball perfectly with his left foot to move his Barcelona record to 199 goals in all competitions.

Barcelona started the second-half in similar fashion and had their fourth of the night when Isaac Cuenca rounded Aouate before hammering in his first-ever senior goal following Adriano’s intricately placed through ball.

There was still time for Dani Alves to add a fifth goal when he attempted an audacious shot from distance which dipped viciously below the crossbar to ensure a five-star performance from Guardiola’s men.

Mallorca failed to pressurise the Barcelona defence as the game sauntered to an end with Joaquin Caparros turning his attention to the match against Sevilla next week in pursuit of his first win as Mallorca’s coach.

Guardiola’s side will now shift their focus to the Champions League as they face a difficult trip to Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night.

Granada 0-1 FC Barcelona (Matchday 9 La Liga 2011/2012)

Xavi was the hero in Andalusia as the midfielder scored a brilliant free-kick on his record-breaking 392nd La Liga appearance to give Barcelona a narrow 1-0 away win against nine-man Granada at Los Carmenes, lifting the Catalans to the top of the league.

The away team dominated possession throughout yet looked ragged in attack and had to wait until the 33rd minute to take the lead, courtesy of the Spain international's sumptuous free-kick from 30 yards out.

Granada were dealt a massive blow in the 54th minute when Jaime picked up a second yellow card for a high challenge to reduce his side to 10 men. Dani Benitez also saw red for a second yellow card in stoppage time for kicking the ball away after being ruled offside.

Pep Guardiola's men leapfrog Levante and Real Madrid to move into first place in the league, with both sides in action on Wednesday night against Real Sociedad and Villarreal respectively.

Barcelona, who lost their 100 per cent Liga home record with a disappointing 0-0 draw versus Sevilla on Saturday, made a bright start in Andalusia, nearly taking the lead early on through Lionel Messi on 13 minute. The diminutive attacker side-stepped Fran Rico before narrowly missing the target with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

The away team continued to look the stronger and came close again on 22 minutes. After a slick passing move, Dani Alves chipped a precise ball onto the head of an unmarked Pedro. However, the winger could only direct his effort wide from 12 yards.

The Blaugrana were beginning to show signs of frustration until Xavi gave them a welcome lead on 33 minutes. The captain stepped up to curl a sensational free-kick over the wall, past the helpless Roberto and into the back of the net from 30 yards out - much to the delight of his adoring team-mates as the away team took a lead into half-time.

Granada made a bright start to the second period but were fighting a losing battle on 54 minutes when Jaime was shown a yellow card and given his marching orders. The attacker's foot was deemed too high as he unintentionally struck Maxwell's face with his boot.

Guardiola's men thought they had doubled their lead six minutes later when Messi chipped the ball over the on-rushing Roberto, yet Diego Mainz somehow managed to get back to hook the ball to safety off the line.

In stoppage time, Dani Benitez was dismissed for his second yellow card of the game. The winger on-loan from Udinese kicked the ball away after being ruled offside, with the referee given no choice other than to show the winger a red card as Barcelona held on for the victory.

The champions will be looking for another victory on Saturday when they entertain Mallorca at Camp Nou while Granada travel to Sevilla on Monday, where they will be looking to get out of the relegation zone, and build on their solitary triumph so far this season.

FC Barcelona 0-0 Sevilla (Matchday 8 La Liga 2011/2012)

Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas was the star of the show at Camp Nou on Saturday evening as his countless heroics earned his side a goalless draw against Barcelona in La Liga.

The Blaugrana dominated possession in the first half, and managed to create a few decent chances, but Sevilla goalkeeper Varas was the outstanding performer as he pulled off numerous saves.

Sevilla gave Barcelona cause for concern in the 15th minute when Emiliano Armenteros attempted an opportunistic half volley from just inside the Barca area, which had Victor Valdes scrambling across his goal, but the ball flew just by the post.

They came close again five minutes later when Dani Alves gave the ball away on the edge of the Barcelona box to Jesus Navas, who found room to strike a snap-shot at the top left corner, but Valdes was on hand to tip the ball around the post.

The best chance of the first half came five minutes before the break and involved some top class link-up play between Adriano and Andres Iniesta down the left hand side. The two exchanged a neat one-two before Iniesta slid the ball into the box for David Villa, who blasted at goal first time with his left foot but Javi Varas remained big and saved with his legs.

The second half continued in the same fashion, with Varas impressing in the Sevilla goal with a few very good saves. Barcelona came extremely close to taking the lead in the 72nd minute when Lionel Messi split the Sevilla defence with a sensational pass to the back post for Iniesta, who lifted the ball over Varas only to hit the top of the bar.

Marcelino's side had a great chance to take the lead two minutes later when Jesus Navas picked out a pass to Ivan Rakitic, who had a free run at the Barcelona goal, but the Croatian's first touch let him down and allowed the Barca defenders to smuggle the ball to safety.

There was drama in injury time as Federico Fazio brought down Iniesta in the penalty area and the Blaugrana were awarded a penalty. The decision caused uproar among the Sevilla players, and Frederic Kanoute saw red after grabbing the face of Cesc Fabregas. However, Sevilla hero Varas was on hand again as he dived to his left and parried away Messi's penalty. Fernando Navarro received a second booking in extended injury time after going in late on Pedro.

This result sees Barcelona drop to second place, one point behind rivals Real Madrid. Sevilla are fourth on 16 points. Guardiola's men will travel to Granada on Tuesday for midweek La Liga action while the Andalucians welcome Racing Santander.

FC Barcelona 3-0 Racing Santander (Matchday 7 La Liga 2011/2012)

Two goals from Messi and another from Xavi gave FC Barcelona a win over Racing Santander at the Camp Nou. With Iniesta back in the team, Barça stay top of the league table for another week.

This time the international break had no effect on FC Barcelona as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Racing Santander to hold onto top spot in the Liga table. They did so by staying faithful to their usual system, despite nine of the starting eleven having played international fixtures this week. Leo Messi was the star once again, scoring the first and third goals of the game, with Xavi adding another in between as the his side dominated the Cantabrians from start to finish. The performance was an ideal confidence booster ahead of two more important games at the Camp Nou against Viktoria Plzeň and Sevilla.

Messi marvel

For the first time this season, Guardiola started a match without either Busquets or Mascherano. Puyol and Piqué started in the centre of defence, although the latter withdrew injured shortly after kickoff, while Thiago acted as the linkman between defence and midfield. The football flowed as brilliantly as ever, with absolutely no sign of tiredness among the many internationals. The first goal came after a delightful combination play involving Iniesta and Messi. The Argentinian, with just four touches of the ball, left Bernardo and Toño standing before scoring an absolute peach of a goal. It also meant he has now beaten Kubala’s record.

Xavi gets second

The first half was a constant onslaught on the Racing goal. It was only a matter of time before FCB scored again, and that happened on the half hour, when Xavi nodded home a Pedro cross from the left. Puyol and Villa, twice, also had chances to extend the lead against a Racing side that had certainly come to play football, but Hector Cuper’s rapid-paced style only played right into the hands of the home side.

More from Messi

Nothing changed after the break. Barça continued to dominate possession and generate chance after chance. The pace may have eased off slightly, but it was still ideal for Catalans, who appreciated the drop in intensity due to possible fatigue in the wake of so much travelling over the last week. But there was still another goal to come, and that started with Andrés Iniesta going on a terrific run and then striking the ball onto the post, where Messi was ready to cannon the rebound into the net.

Rest for Iniesta and Pedro

The 3-0 scoreline satisfied Guardiola that the team had done its job, and Iniesta, who was playing his first game since getting injured against AC Milan and Pedro, who played for Spain on Tuesday against Scotland, were both brought off early. Keita and Adriano took their place in a game that almost ended with an amazing overhead goal from Abidal. You just never know what to expect from Barça, but it’s almost always amazing! The magic continues…

Sporting Gijón 0-1 FC Barcelona (Matchday 6 La Liga 2011/2012)

Barca's first league win under Guardiola had come at this ground in September, 2008, with a spectacular 6-1 success, and the Catalan giants began this match in familiar fashion with some excellent passing in midfield.

David Villa threatened against his former club with a fierce effort from the left, but saw his shot go just over the crossbar.

The Catalans then took the lead as Xavi struck the post with a powerful shot from distance, before Adriano followed up with a rebound and his effort took a deflection before nestling in the bottom right-hand corner of Juan Pablo's goal.

Barcelona continued to dominate the play after that, and Villa tested Juan Pablo with a fierce right-footed effort which the Sporting keeper did well to save low to his left.

The visitors were well on top and the home side showed their frustration in the 33rd minute when Nacho Cases brought down Sergio Busquets with a bad challenge, resulting in the first booking of the evening.

A minute later, Barcelona were appealing for a penalty as Lionel Messi was brought down in the box after making a run towards goal, but the referee remained unmoved.

Sporting almost levelled in the 41st minute, when David Barral took an elegant first touch in the Barcelona box, only for Eric Abidal to clear it before he could strike at goal.

The second half was a tepid affair, with neither side truly threatening.

The Catalans appeared to show some fatigue towards the end of the match as they began to squander possession, and they had to rearrange their back-line when Abidal went off with a suspected hamstring injury.

The away side created the last chance of the match when Messi’s shot towards goal found the feet of Dani Alves, only for the assistant referee to stop play for offside.

Barca were comfortable in the end, and move to the top of the table heading into the international break, with 14 points - the same total as Levante, who beat Betis earlier on Sunday.

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.