Highlights : Arsenal 2-2 FC Barcelona

Goal :

Ibrahimovic 46' http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1411701890740&ref=mf

Ibrahimovic 59' http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1411719491180&ref=mf

Player Ratings : Arsenal 2-2 FC Barcelona

ARSENAL

Almunia: 7.5 - Was in sensational form in the first half making a string of important saves when the Gunners were under the cosh. A superb stop from Xavi in the first half was the best of the lot but he let his grade come down by running from his area needlessly to give Ibrahimovic the space to score his opener.

Sagna: 6.5 - Likes to get forward but had precious little time to do that as he had to cope with constant pressure from the visitors where he had a habit of crawling over Barca's number nine. Did fizz in some good crosses on his rare forays forward before being withdrawn to make way for Walcott.

Gallas: 5.5 - Didn't look like a player who has played much football recently and it showed as he limped off before half-time. Did make one good intervention to deny Zlatan in his 40 minutes of action.

Vermaelen: 6.5 - Gave away an early corner which set the tempo for Barca's first half dominance. Launched into a tackle on Busquets in the 16th minute and spent a lot of time chasing shadows like the rest his side when the holders were on top.

Clichy: 6.5 - All the pre-match hype was how he would deal with the menace of Messi and the verdict was he did okay despite hacking the Argentinian down inside the box inside the first half. Sent in a inch perfect cross for Bendtner in the first half.

Song: 7 - Shadowed Ibrahimovic and Messi in particular for long spells. Made a vital goal-line clearance in the first half in a disciplined showing where he rarely got out of his own half.

Fabregas: 7.5 - He didn't look fit and the game seemed to pass him by until the Gunners clawed their way back into it. Picked up a booking for a bad foul on Busquets ensuring he misses the second leg and showed guts to take the spot-kick to earn the draw.

Diaby: 6.5 - Made a host of poorly timed challenges which eventually earned a booking for a late one on Keita. Also made an important clearance at the death.

Nasri: 6.5 - Unable to show what he could do as Barca bossed most of the contest. Fizzed a shot by the post in the first half and saw more of the ball in the second playing his part in Walcott's opener.

Arshavin: 5 - Rarely in the game apart from picking up a booking and then limped off hurt early on when the tide was flowing against the north Londoners.

Bendtner: 7 - To his credit he never gave up despite having to lead the line himself for long stints. Drifted out wide to see more of the action sending in some good crosses and provided the assist for Walcott's first strike. Had some chances himself which were expertly denied by Valdes.

Substitutes

Eboue: 6.5 - Replaced Arshavin and was a more dependable presence than the Russian playing some neat balls when Arsenal were in the ascendancy.

Denilson: 6 - Another who saw action early after Gallas was withdrawn and had a quiet second half.

Walcott: 7.5 - A spectacular introduction leaving Maxwell for dead seconds after coming on and scoring an excellent goal moments later. A constant threat from then on as his side went on to grab a crucial second.

BARCELONA

Valdes: 7.5 - Could have taken a nap in the first half as Barcelona battered the opposition. Did what was necessary to deny Bendtner from close range but should have done better with Walcott's effort which crept underneath his body.

Maxwell: 6.5 - Had little to do until Arsenal forced an onslaught and was left exposed by Walcott once the Englishman got on the pitch who left him for dead to score the Gunners first of the evening.

Puyol: 7.5 - Made several good clearances in the penalty area from the few Arsenal attacks which came his way. Always reads the game impeccably well and will argue that his red card was harsh which led to his dismissal and Arsenal's second goal.

Pique: 7.5 - No stranger to English opposition he executed an old fashioned long ball to set up his side's first goal of the night. Played well for the most part but earned a booking meaning he will miss the second leg.

Daniel Alves: 8 - Instrumental in Barcelona's first half masterclass linking up with Xavi to superb effect whipping in some delicious crosses which deserved better.

Busquets: 7.5 - Barca's midfield enforcer was deployed to do a job in front of the backline and he did well preventing Arsenal from playing particularly in the first half. Nearly scored himself within the first minute with a shot.

Pedro: 7.5 - Involved with the one-touch wonderful to watch first half performance when he saw plenty of the ball. Less effective in the second half.

Xavi: 8.5 - Relentlessly consistent and tonight was no exception. Executed a superb pull-back for Messi in the first half and constantly probed the opposition whenever he saw the ball which was often. Played in the assist of the match for Zlatan's second goal with a quality through ball.

Keita: 7.5 - Not as easy on the eye as Xavi but very effective in what he does. Solid and dependable.

Messi: 8 - Won't go down as one of his masterclass nights but still lit up the Emirates with some dazzling runs, passes and quick thinking where for once he didn't score.

Ibrahimovic: 8.5 -Took his goals extremely well silencing his critics. Barca bought him specifically for occasions such as this match and while he did miss one sitter he more than made up for it with his second half strikes.

Substitutes

Henry: 6 - A token cameo towards the end when his side were under pressure and did little during his 13 minute spell.

Milito: N/A

Arsenal 2-2 FC Barcelona

Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona - Lineups/Stats
Champions League - Results/Draw

Arsenal mounted a late comeback to erase a two-goal deficit against a rampant Barcelona outfit who dominated the majority of the contest. Two second half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked to have sealed the match for the visitors but late strikes from substitute Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas made it 2-2 in a game which the Gunners lost William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin to injury. Fabregas also picked up a booking and will miss the second leg in the Camp Nou.

Arsene Wenger recalled Gallas after a five week absence and started with Fabregas who passed a late fitness test. Both would have an eventful first half. Meanwhile, former Gunners favourite Thierry Henry was on the bench for Barcelona.

The holders may have been clad in their away strip but they played like the home side in a dominant first half display. For the first 20 minutes they launched wave after wave of attack at the Arsenal rearguard and but for some outstanding goalkeeping from Manuel Almunia would have gone in at least two goals up.

Straight from the kick off the visitors forced a corner kick which Almunia
responded to with a low body save from a Sergio Busquets drive inside the danger area. Moments later Ibrahimovic missed a sitter from close range although he had crept offside after a delicious cross from Dani Alves. The big Swede went on a solo run a few minutes later smashing his effort into the side netting.

Almunia's heroics kept the Gunners in the game in the 15th minute as firstly he
denied Ibrahimovic with a one handed save and then came to the rescue again to block Xavi's drive inside the six-yard box. It seemed inevitable that the
Blaugrana would take the lead with Leo Messi weaving his usual brand of magic.

Arsene Wenger was quickly on his feet and it seemed to have some effect as his side forced their first half-chance through a cross from Arshavin which was
nodded away by Carles Puyol. The Russian picked up a booking shortly afterwards and then limped off to be replaced by Emmanuel Eboue.

Samir Nasri fizzed a drive wide of Valdes' post in a dismal first half for the
Gunners which saw them also lose Gallas through injury and Fabregas pick up a booking ensuring he misses the second leg. Nicklas Bendtner did force Valdes into a fine body save and hit the post but the Danish striker had crept offside.

Incredibly it was scoreless at the break despite Barca having 69% of the
possession and forcing 15 shots to the hosts two.

Pep Guardiola's European Champions didn't have to wait long as they scored right from the kick-off. An old fashioned English long ball from Gerard Pique found Ibrahimovic who neatly clipped the ball over the advancing Almunia, who had strayed from his goal-line, to give the Catalans a deserved lead.

With the away goal in the bag Barca were content to keep the ball in the
immediate aftermath of Zlatan's intervention. However, they were almost caught out by a swift Arsenal counter-attack when Bendtner forced Valdes into a superb instinct save with a bullet header from close range from which Barca went on the attack themselves with Xavi nodding an effort from a similar range wide of the post.

Barca's orchestrator in chief was at the hub of their killer second goal as he
picked out their marksman Ibrahimovic with a fabulous through ball which beat
the offside trap leaving the number nine to take one touch and smack past
Almunia plunging the Emirates into silence. Barca's summer signing had promised the English media that he'd make them eat their words and did so in style with two quality strikes.

Having already made two substitutions Arsene Wenger went for broke bringing on Theo Walcott for Bacary Sagna. The young Englishman was immediately involved skinning Maxwell and whipping in a cross and made his impact with a quality goal seconds later as he was fed by Bendtner who slipped the ball through to Walcott who evaded Valdes to slot the ball underneath the keeper to send the home support into raptures.

Walcott's goal gave the Gunners a boost and the first time all game it was a
genuine contest. Thierry Henry was given a rapturous reception when he replaced two-goal hero Ibrahimovic for the final quarter of an hour while his former club pushed for a late equaliser.

It arrived with five minutes to go as Bendtner set up Fabregas with a neat nod down only for the Spaniard to catch Puyol's leg and go to ground inside the penalty area. The Barca captain was given his marching orders and Fabregas smashed his spot-kick home and did so with such force to he limped back to the centre half clearly in pain and was a passenger for the final few moments.

Both sides played out the remainder of an enthralling contest with ten men. Arsenal had somehow managed to claw their way back into the contest which an hour in looked as good as dead. Barca will be without the suspended Pique and Puyol for the return leg while Arsenal must cope without tonight's hero Fabregas.

Highlights : Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona

Goal

63' Z. Ibrahimovic

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1407673710038&ref=mf

Player Ratings : Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona

Mallorca

Dudu Aouate - 6: Could do nothing about the goal, and made some more crucial saves to keep his side in it.

Felipe Mattioni - 5: Defended adequately, but often tried too much going forward, when there were better options.

Nunes - 6: A valiant performance at the back, never gave an inch.

Ivan Ramis - 5: Didn't make any serious mistakes, but did not exert too much pressure either.

Ayoze - 5: Held his own down the flank, but hardly made an impact going forward.

Mario - 4: Afforded Barca far too much space in the midfield, allowing them to dominate possession.

Marti - 5: Like his midfield partner, failed to make life uncomfortable for Barca's midfielders.

Borja Valero - 7: The host's best player, was involved in all their attacks, and was unlucky to see a free-kick bounce back off the post.

Gonzalo Castro - 6: Looked lively early on, but faded completely as the match went on.

Victor - 6: Lent support to Aduriz up front, but didn't create much.

Aritz Aduriz - 7: Rattled the woodwork with a great strike early on, but didn't do much else.

Substitutes

Julio Alvarez - 5: Failed to make any impact after coming on.

Alhassane Keita - 4: Hardly touched the ball during his spell on the pitch.

Pierre Webo - N/A

Barcelona

Victor Valdes - 6: Didn't have many saves to make, and couldn't do much about the shots that hit the woodwork.

Daniel Alves - 6: Looked dangerous going forward as always, but some suspect moments in defence.

Carles Puyol - 7: After the initial hiccup, gave Mallorca no opportunites, and provided the assist for the goal.

Gabriel Milito - 6: A fairly commanding performance, provided a threat on set pieces as well.

Maxwell - 7: Another encouraging performances, added a real dimension to Barca's attack.

Yaya Toure - 6: Did his job well, denying Mallorca any space in midfield.

Seydou Keita - 5: Didn't make any errors, but a fairly anonymous performance.

Andres Iniesta - 6: Looked lively in patches before picking up a knock early in the second half.

Pedro - 6: Had moments of excitement, but also went through periods of inactivity.

Jeffren - 6: An encouraging performance given his lack of experience, but needs to stay involved more.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 7: In the right place at the right time, and showed some nice touches throughout.

Substitutes

Lionel Messi - 6: Made a difference after coming on, but his finishing left a lot to be desired.

Xavi - 6: Held the midfield together well and helped protect the lead.

Jonathan Dos Santos - N/A

Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona

Mallorca 0-1 Barcelona - Lineup/Stats
La Liga Fixtures, Results & Standings

Barcelona escaped a tense evening at the ONO Estadi unscathed as Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted the only goal of the game to hand his side all three points after Mallorca had hit the woodwork twice in the first half.

Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola fielded a slightly weakened side with red-hot Lionel Messi and a recovering Xavi starting on the bench.

His opposite number Gregorio Manzano resisted the temptation to take a more defensive approach and the positive mindset almost paid off with just two minutes on the clock when Aritz Aduriz’s half volley cannoned back off the post. Gonzalo Castro went in for the rebound but saw his effort palmed away brilliantly by a flying Victor Valdes.

Barcelona quickly woke up after that early scare with Jeffren and Pedro looking particularly lively. The latter had the ball in the back of the net after 11 minutes when he finished off a through pass from Maxwell’s but the flag had already gone up for offside.

Barca came close again on 15 minutes when Gaby Milito’s bullet header looked destined to sail into the left top corner but Dudu Aouate made a stunning acrobatic one-handed block to tip the ball out.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was then presented with two excellent chances. First, he managed to round Aouate but a poor touch saw him forced wide and the opening was gone. Minutes later, he went the direct route with a stinging shot but Aouate dived low to turn it behind. Jeffren was next to try his luck from distance but his effort just outside the box flashed marginally over the bar.

The Balearic Islanders suddenly found themselves pinned back for long periods but Barca were unable to carve open the opposing defence in that familiar style of theirs without the inspiration from Xavi and Messi.

And it was Mallorca who had the last chance of the first half when they were awarded a freekick right down the middle from 20 yards out. Borja curled his shot over the wall but for the second time in the game, the ONO Estadi faithful were left agonising as the ball rattled the post, although Valdes would have had it covered.

The Catalans made sure they had the better start to the second half to avoid any further close calls, but with no signs of a breakthrough, Guardiola sent in Messi just five minutes into the restart for Iniesta, who looked to have picked up a knock.

The first look-in at goal didn’t arrive until the 58th minute and it fell to Mallorca. Barca again failed to clear their lines from a set-piece and Mario Suarez pummelled in the loose ball which flew just wide.

Xavi was introduced right on the hour mark and it was just the inspiration the Blaugrana needed as they finally broke the deadlock. The playmaker whipped in a corner which was stabbed towards goal by Carles Puyol. Aouate managed to push it away but only as far as Ibrahimovic, who smashed in the rebound from three yards out.

Mallorca thought they had equalised just minutes later when Aduriz drilled a low shot past Valdes, but the whistle had already gone after he drifted offside to collect Borja’s through ball. Straight to the other end, Messi saw a ferocious half-volley palmed away by Aouate after Ibrahimovic had audaciously cushioned down Pedro’s cross with the back of his shoulder.

Messi should have wrapped up the game on 81 minutes when he breezed past two defenders to cut into the centre from the right flank but with a clear view of goal, he hammered his shot well over the bar. As the clock ticked down, the Barralets started pushing men forward and Guardiola’s troops were put under immense pressure. But the held on in the end to claim a narrow but priceless 1-0 win to go back to the summit of La Liga for at least 24 hours.

Real Madrid will regain top spot if they beat city rivals Atletico Madrid in Sunday’s 2100 CET kick-off.

Highlights : Barcelona 2 - 0 Osasuna

Goal 1 (Ibrahimovic) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1404930281454&oid=105404592748

Goal2 (Bojan Krkic) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1404939361681&oid=109403800844

Player Ratings : Barcelona 2 - 0 Osasuna

BARCELONA

Victor Valdes - 7: Only called upon on a handful of occasions but he was always alert and did what he needed to do.

Daniel Alves - 6: Solid defensively but his delivery from wide areas was uncharacteristically woeful tonight.

Carles Puyol - 7.5: As reliable as ever marshalling the defence to great effect. Some vital last ditch interceptions although he misread one or two balls in the air which on another night may have proved costly.

Gabriel Milito - 6.5: Still not back to his best but he's gradually gaining in confidence and composure. A decent performance tonight.

Maxwell - 7: Caught ball watching early on as Vadocz stole in and almost scored but improved greatly as the match wore on and provided extra width, eventually assisting for the opener.

Sergi Busquets - 6: Good display, particularly thwarting the opposition but doesn't take command in games and was duly replaced by Keita.

Yaya Toure - 8: He was commanding presence defensively and after the break stamped his authority on the game by adding a huge attacking impetus for Barca raiding forward at every opportunity. Deserved a goal to cap a fine performance.

Andres Iniesta - 8: Industrious first half but in the second period he was the real catalyst for Barca winning the game. He was the main attacking outlet surging forward on the left and had a hand in both goals. Fine performance.

Lionel Messi - 6: Hailed as a genius in recent weeks but today showed he was human. Showed great touch as always but was frustrated by a combination of great defending and some lax refereeing. Perhaps guilty of trying a little too hard for a goal.

Thierry Henry - 6: Decent but unspectacular performance, got into some good positions but wasn't a huge threat.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 6: Got his goal which will give him a much needed boost of confidence but it wasn't a good performance. His touch was wayward, his anticipation was poor and generally he just looked a yard off the pace.

Substitutes:

Pedro - 7.5: A crucial intervention. Changed the whole complexion of the game and was a driving force who also had a hand in both goals.

Seydou Keita - 7: Made a difference and was a telling influence as the champions upped the ante.

Bojan Krkic - 7: Started and finished the move for the all important goal. Did what he was brought in to do.

OSASUNA

Ricardo - 6.5: Hard to criticise him for the goals and made a couple of good saves to keep his side in it. Excellent aerially.

Cesar Azpilicueta - 4: Good first half display but Iniesta ran him ragged after the break and created two goals from that wing.

Josetxo - 5.5: Won a lot of balls in the air against 'Ibra' and did well generally except when Bojan crept inside to score.

Miguel Flano - 6: Osauna's best defender, particularly when it was scoreless he made some vital challenges and clearances to keep his side on level terms. Dealt well with Messi and compnay organising the defensive effort.

Monreal - 5.5: Got forward to good effect before the break. Alves overlapping gave him plenty to deal with and on another day if the delivery was better he would have been exposed.

Javad Nekounam - 6: In the early stages he proved very influential but he faded and after the break was chasing shadows.

Patxi Punal - 5.5: Was a telling physical presence battling Busquets in the first half but as Barca turned the screw his influence waned significantly.

Juanfran - 6: A thorn in Barcelona's side in the early stages of the contest. Showed good vision and control but failed to make the telling difference when his side were dominant in the early stages.

Javier Camunas - 5.5: Comfortable in possession but some of his decision making beggars belief. Needs to take off the blinkers.

Masoud - 6: Got into some good positions and gave Puyol work to do on a few occasions. Solid but like most of his team he disappeared when Barca moved up a couple of gears.

Krisztian Vadocz - 6: Could have fired his side in front with his early effort but despite some good surging runs forward in the first half he wasn't able to make a difference.

Substitutes:

Ruper - 5: Never really made much of an impact.

Javier Calleja - 6: Good energy and some clever unselfish runs which went unrewarded.

Jorge Galan: N/A

Barcelona 2 - 0 Osasuna

Barcelona 2-0 Osasuna - Lineups/Stats
La Liga - Fixtures/Results

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bojan were the heroes of the night, as Barcelona claimed a win over Osasuna.

Barcelona started with their strongest possible line-up, with the exception of the injured Xavi, Gerard Pique and Eric Abidal. Osasuna, meanwhile, were missing a host of first team strikers.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi created the first chance of the game, playing Ibrahimovic through, only to see his shot saved by Ricardo. At the other end, Krisztian Vadocz found himself one-on-one with Victor Valdes, but the Barca 'keeper was up to the task.

On 14 minutes, Messi was in the thick of it again, but his free kick hit the wall and deflected just wide. From the resulting corner, Thierry Henry's lob nearly beat Ricardo, but the 'keeper palmed the ball away just in time.

The Blaugrana continued to dominate possession, but were struggling to create any genuine chances. With ten minutes left in the half, Ibrahimovic sent a volley towards goal, but it was deflected over.

The rest of the half followed the same pattern, but it came to a tame end, as both sides went into the break looking for the first goal.

Pep Guardiola made a change at half-time, taking Henry off for Pedro. The youngster immediately added more life to Barca's attack, and he soon played a great ball in for Messi, but 'La Pulga' could only get a faint touch on it at full stretch, as it dribbled wide.

Just before the hour mark, Yaya Toure put a cross in for Messi, but his finishing was off target again, as this time he headed over the bar. Minutes later, the Ivorian was on the end of a cross from Andres Iniesta, but his header was also wide of the mark.

With twenty minutes remaining, Seydou Keita replaced Sergi Busquets, and he almost made an immediate impact, but saw his header stopped by Ricardo after Dani Alves' cross.

A goal seemed imminent, and it arrived on 72 minutes, when Ibrahimovic found himself on the end of Maxwell's ball across the box, and tapped into an empty net. 

Osasuna were shocked by the blow, and nearly fell further behind when Messi unleashed from outside the box, only to see his effort smash the outside of the post. That goal soon arrived though, when, in similar fashion to the first, Bojan turned in Iniesta's cross from the left to seal the game.

That proved to be the final action of a game that Barca eventually won with ease, heaping the pressure on Real Madrid, who travel to Getafe tomorrow.

Highlights Real Zaragoza 2-4 Barcelona

Highlights Real Zaragoza 2-4 Barcelona

Goal 1 (Messi) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1401624958823&oid=107394038901
Goal 2 (Messi) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1401647919397&oid=107394038901
Goal 3 (Messi) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1401661319732&oid=107394038901
Goal 4 (Ibrahimovic) http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1401673160028&oid=105404592748

Real Zaragoza 2-4 Barcelona

Barcelona had to survive a late scare to take all three points against a plucky Zaragoza outfit at La Romereda.

Lionel Messi's second hat-trick in succession in the league almost wasn't enough as Barca had to rely on a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty to put the tie beyond doubt as two late strikes from Adrian Colunga had the champions on the rack.

A mistake from Diogo just three minutes into the tie allowed Pedro nip in and cross for Messi, who made no mistake nodding home past the hapless Roberto.

Gerard Pique had a chance to double Barca's advantage less than five minutes later but fired straight at the Zaragoza custodian and almost immediately the centre half was called into action at the other end of the field making a brilliant challenge to thwart Leonardo Ponzio's surge at goal.

Without reaching the level they showed midweek against Stuttgart, Barcelona looked quite comfortable even with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol starting from the bench.

Yaya Toure was proving influential in the midfield battle and almost doubled the champions lead but failed to keep his effort down after good work from Maxwell.

On the half hour mark Messi landed a corner on the head of Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the Swede somehow contrived to miss with a free header from inside the six yard box, nodding his downward effort wide of Roberto's goal.

While Barca were certainly on top the hosts were by no means out of the game, the final ball not quite there to reward their efforts as a late Arizmendi free-kick proved the best test for Victor Valdes.

After the break Pedro and Messi continued to terrorise the Zaragoza defence as the Blaugrana went in search of that vital two goal cushion.

Zaragoza' defence was resolute and well organised and Barca, for all their dominance, were finding it difficult to break them down and it took a goal of sheer genius from Messi to eventually prise them open.

The Argentine wizard picked it up wide left and shook off the presence of Ander before jinking his way around three Zaragoza defenders and smashing it past Roberto to grab his second goal.

Nine minutes later Messi had his second Primera Liga hat-trick in succession but not before Ibrahimovic missed a glorious opportunity to put Barca three in front after Pedro played him in and with just the keeper to beat the Swede somehow managed to fire wide once more, side footing off target from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

A moment later Messi showed Ibrahimovic how it was down taking possession from Iniesta 20 yards out, he stepped inside Ponzio and curled a fine effort past Roberto to make it 3-0. Eight goals in three appearances from the Argentinian surely obliterating any doubt as to his status as the greatest player in world football.

With seven minutes remaining Messi robbed Matteo Contini and fed Ibra but again he failed to convert, blazing over this time from around 15 yards.

From the kick out substitute Adrian Colunga raced onto the ball and beat Puyol for pace before angling a low drive across goal into the far corner for what seemed a consolation goal.

Ibra once again had a chance to make it four, this time from Iniesta's deep cross but with the outside of his boot couldn't direct it goalwards.

Barca's three goal lead was suddenly whittled away to a fragile one goal lead as Contini's quick free kick found Colunga who raced into a one on one before coolly slotting past the advancing Valdes to make it 3-2.

Messi restored calm for the Catalans as the game entered stoppage time, dancing his way into the penalty box, he was felled by Contini.

Ibra stepped up and finally bagged a goal, blasting the ball to the 'keepers bottom right hand corner to finally put the tie beyond doubt and secure all three points.

It was a frantic finale and Barca will be thankful that they were not made to rue some slack defending late on and some wasteful shooting particularly from Ibrahimovic, who will be relieved that his team-mate Messi is in such a rich vein of form.

Drawing Quarter Final, Barcelona vs Arsenal

UEFA - The Champions League quarter-final draw has been completed in Nyon, with Arsenal against Barcelona the undoubted tie of the round.

rsenal face Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in a repeat of the 2006 final won by the Spanish giants.

Manchester United, beaten by Barcelona in last year's final, face Bayern Munich, Inter Milan are up against CSKA Moscow and Lyon were pitted against fellow French side Bordeaux in the draw made Friday.

The first legs are scheduled for March 30/31 with the second legs on April 6/7.

The semi-final draw was also held, with the winner of the United and Bayern tie meeting Lyon or Bordeaux, and Inter or CSKA playing Arsenal or Barca.

Head 2 Head

Date	Competition	Home team	Score/Time	Away team
17-05-2006	UEFA Champio…	Barcelona	2 - 1	Arsenal

Date	Home team	Score/Time	Away team
Bordeaux			Olympique Lyon
30 March	Olympique Lyon	-	Bordeaux
7 April	Bordeaux	-	Olympique Lyon
Manchester United			Bayern München
30 March	Bayern München	-	Manchester United
7 April	Manchester United	-	Bayern München
Barcelona			Arsenal
30 March	Arsenal	-	Barcelona
7 April	Barcelona	-	Arsenal
CSKA Moskva			Internazionale
30 March	Internazionale	-	CSKA Moskva
7 April	CSKA Moskva	-	Internazionale

Player Ratings : FC Barcelona 4-0 VfB Stuttgart

BARCELONA

Valdes – 7: The goalkeeper is unlikely to have an easier match all season, with Stuttgart rarely threatening his area. Distribution was sound.

Alves – 7: Proved his defensive prowess early with a fine interception, and offered the obligatory overlap on the right to allow Messi to roam free.

Pique – 7.5: The former Manchester United defender continues to be a pillar of strength in the centre of defence, and easily marshalled any attacks the German side could muster.

Puyol – 7.0: The captain returned after a rest at the weekend, and was rarely troubled by the front two of Stuttgart during a composed display.

Maxwell – 7: Much more comfortable in attack than in the defensive third of the pitch, but after his side’s early two goal advantage the necessity to attack waned, giving the former Inter man a comfortable evening.

Toure – 7.5: Replaced the injured Xavi but ensured the Spaniard’s absence did not hamper Barcelona’s stride. His display was more attacking than his conventional role, and he burst forward to set up Pedro for the second goal.

Busquets – 6.5: Did the simple things all evening, breaking up possession and stifling any creative element to the Germans play.

Iniesta – 7: Drifted in from the left and linked well with the front three, giving Stuttgart’s midfielders a torrid time as they attempted to track his movements.

Pedro – 7.5: Interchanged flanks with Messi on a regular basis to bamboozle the opposition, and was in the right place to slot home the killer second goal that ended the German’s resolve.

Henry – 6.5: Given the nod through the centre ahead of Ibrahimovic, and he produced an industrious if not his most creative performance.

Messi – 9: Yet another masterful performance from the Ballon d’Or incumbent. His first goal was a work of art as he ran half of the length of the pitch to rifle home, before providing a dream pass to Toure as part of the second goal. He is unplayable on this form.

Subs

Ibrahimovic – 5.5: Given the last 25 minutes and set up Bojan’s fourth.

Milito – 5: On for the final ten minutes.

Bojan – 6: Played two minutes – and scored a goal.

VfB STUTTGART

Lehmann – 6: Helpless on any of the goals, and managed to pick himself up a needless booking for dissent as the referee bore the brunt of his frustration.

Celozzi – 5.0: Let Toure drift in behind him all too easily to set up the second goal, and was withdrawn at half-time after a night to forget.

Niedermeier – 7: Dealt reasonably well with the threat of Thierry Henry through the centre, but was let down by his full-backs’ inability to track Barcelona’s runners on the flanks.

Delpierre – 6.5: The Frenchman was at times caught out of position as Barcelona’s intricate passing dragged him across the pitch.

Molinaro – 5.5: The Italian was given an absolutely torrid time by the manner in which Pedro and Messi constantly rotated flanks, and ultimately he failed to track either of them as Barcelona dominated.

Trasch – 6.5: Looked to thread the ball down the channels at every opportunity to get in behind Barcelona, and did not give up despite the increasing hopelessness of the situation.

Kuzmanovic – 5.5: Did not close down Messi quickly enough for the opening goal, and then was booked in the second half for a raking tackle on the Argentine. The Serbian was unable to create anything of note for his side.

Khedira – 6: Given the task of protecting his back four, but was incapable of doing so as he was dragged across the pitch by the movement of the Blaugrana.

Hleb – 5.5: He is expected to return to Barcelona in the summer, but if his performances continue to be as anonymous as this, he will not remain there for long. Produced nothing.

Cacau – 6.5: Showed slightly more invention than the majority of his colleagues, but his task was fruitless as he was starved of possession and service from the midfield.

Pogrebnyak – 6: The Russian was barely given a sniff throughout the entire match, and he was replaced midway through the second half.

Subs

Marica - 5: Came on with the game long gone.

Gebhart - 5: Arrived at half-time but couldn't impact on proceedings.

FC Barcelona 4-0 VfB Stuttgart

Champions Barcelona cruised into Friday's quarter-final draw with a comprehensive demolition of Stuttgart at Camp Nou.

A brace from the brilliant Lionel Messi, a magnificent team goal crafted by the Argentinian and finished by Pedro and a late strike by Bojan Krkic put Stuttgart to the sword in stunning style and truthfully it could have been much worse for the visitors as a rampant Catalan outfit served up a footballing treat.

Any signs of nerves or fear of an upset were never evident as Thierry Henry and Messi fired early strikes across the bow of Jens Lehmann and any doubts of the outcome of the tie were quickly eroded after just 13 minutes by a sublime solo strike of a standard few other than the mesmeric Messi could conjure up.

Racing at the heart of the German defence, he skipped and jinked his way into a shooting position before smashing the ball into the top left hand corner from about 20 yards as no less than four white shirts converged.

Despite the absence of midfield lynchpin Xavi, the hosts enforced their rhythmic one-touch passing style with fluid ease and although the visitors were organised and resolute at the back, the sheer quality of the Barca movement was inevitably going to carve its way through to Lehmann's goal again.

The second goal, which came nine minutes after the opener, was a magical team effort that saw the Blaugrana string together a flurry of inch perfect passes inside the Stuttgart half. A neat interchange involving Messi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro drew the attentions of the German rearguard sufficiently to allow Messi to lift a superb ball into the box for the run of Yaya Toure who pulled a low ball across the box from the left giving Pedro a simple tap-in.

Messi almost stole in again nipping the ball off Aliaksandr Hleb 20 yards out but inexplicably the referee blew for a foul against the Argentinian much to the relief of Die Roten.

When not in possession Barca, particularly through Iniesta and Pedro, displayed the kind of intensity and energy that made them champions last year, forcing the visitors into errors and regaining control of the ball.

Stuttgart had to throw caution to the wind after the break, committing men forward in search of a goal that would throw the contest wide open once again. That predictably left more space for the Blaugrana to expose and although the final ball was lacking in the initial stages it seemed inevitable that Lehmann would find himself with plenty to do.

Toure shaved the post from the edge of the box with a low drive after a brilliant cut back from Lionel Messi and if that was a warning, it wasn't heeded and the punishment was duly dished out on the hour mark, effectively putting the tie beyond all doubt.

Pedro blazed a trail down the right and cut the ball back to Dani Alves on the edge of the box who laid it to the feet of Messi with a crafty back heel and the Argentine swivelled on the D to shake off the presence of Timo Gebhart before firing home low to Lehmann's left to net goal number 29 of the season. A younger Lehmann may have stopped it but the ageing shot stopper wasn't up to the task on this occasion.

Lehmann and Georg Niedermeier managed successive attempts to deny the hat-trick, the 40-year-old with a fine one-handed save from a Messi header before the centre half did enough to intervene, blocking what would have been a awesome finish as Messi attempted an audacious chest and volley from Alves' deep cross.

What followed was typical of Barca's pomp as Messi drove the resulting corner 40 yards back across the park to Iniesta who floated in a heat-seeking cross for Alves but his header back across goal was a fraction beyond the waiting Henry as the creme de la creme of training ground moves went unrewarded.

Stuttgart weren't short on effort and Valdes had work to do late on but wasn't really stretched as his defence thwarted a valiant but ultimately fruitless late burst from the Bundesliga side.

Messi had one more shot at completing back to back hat-tricks but after forcing his way into a one-on-one with Lehmann, dinking over the goalkeeper only to see his effort trail wide of the mark.

Bojan came off the bench for a late cameo, replacing Iniesta, and with his only touch of the game side-footed past the advancing Lehmann from 25 yards into an open net after latching onto Zlatan Ibrahimovic's through ball.

Barca are undoubtedly rediscovering their finest form and on this showing it is difficult to see how any team left in the competition could stop the champions claiming a second successive European crown.

Highlights Barcelona 3-0 Valencia

Highlights Barcelona 3-0 Valencia : (Messi Hattrick)

Goal 1 - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1394723106281&oid=107394038901
Goal 2 - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1394746026854&oid=107394038901
Goal 3 - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1394764667320&oid=107394038901

Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-0 Valencia

BARCELONA

Victor Valdes – 7.0: Had to look spritely to keep Valencia at bay in the first half, and stayed big to deny Zigic at a crucial stage of the second half when Barcelona were only a goal in front.

Daniel Alves – 7.0: His standard attacking display, bombing forward whenever possible and simply fed Messi, allowing him to do what he does best.

Gerard Pique – 6.5: Dealt comfortably with the threat of Dominguez, but let Zigic breach the offside trap and was fortunate to see him strike his effort straight at Valdes.

Gabriel Milito – 7.0: In for Carlos Puyol, who was rested and did little wrong against a dangerous Valencia front quartet, making a few vital interceptions.

Maxwell – 6.5: Given a difficult time by Pablo Hernandez and Miguel in the first half, but looked more assured in the second period as Barcelona gained control.

Sergio Busquets – 7.0: Given the start in the holding midfield role, and got better as the match went on, after a difficult first half when Valencia looked to be dangerous.

Xavi – 7.0: Pulled the strings from midfield as usual, linking well and driving the team forward in the second half when the match was finely poised.

Andres Iniesta – 7.0: Back in the midfield trio with Xavi, and looked more comfortable back orchestrating proceeding next to his long-time teammate.

Bojan – 5.0: Given the nod on the left-hand side ahead of Thierry Henry, but did little to justify his selection, and it was no surprise to see him withdrawn at half time.

Lionel Messi – 9.5: On this performance, the greatest player in the World, without question. His hat-trick encapsulated everything wonderful about his game, and took his side from 0-0 to a comfortable three points with three majestic finishes.

Pedro – 6.5: Did not have one of his most productive evenings, and his distribution from the right flank was not of his usual high standards.

Subs

Thierry Henry - 7.5: Arrived at half-time and changed the match, offering Messi two assists.

Jeffren - 5.0: Came on late.

Yaya Toure: 5.0: Replaced Messi in injury time.

VALENCIA

Cesar – 7.0: Handed the gloves and did not let his side down, saving wonderfully from Messi in the first half, and was helpless to stop the Argentine running riot in the second.

Miguel – 7.0: Offered an attacking outlet on the right, skipping past Hernandez and providing dangerous deliveries into the area, as well as subduing Bojan at the other end of the pitch.

Dealbert – 6.0: Did little to offer peace of mind to his goalkeeper by surrendering possession on more than one occasion, and was powerless to stop Messi scoring freely.

Hedwiges Maduro – 5.5: Perhaps fortunate not to see red for a wild lunge at the ankles of Thierry Henry, but otherwise had a fairly solid match in the centre of defence.
Bruno – 6.0: Faced with challenge of restraining Pedro but stuck to his task manfully and gave the winger little breathing space to create opportunities.

Ever Banega – 7.5: The Argentine is a different player this season; vibrant, skilful, and with an incredible engine, and did little wrong in the match, despite the result.

David Albelda – 6.5: The experienced defensive midfielder was holding his own against Xavi and Iniesta before injury curtailed his afternoon before half-time.

Jordi Alba – 6.5: Was excellent in the first half, causing Alves no end of problems, but as Barcelona exerted their influence on the match, Alba disappeared from the match.

David Silva – 7.0: Was excellent in the first half, rarely squandering possession and was inventive, but faded as the match progressed.

Pablo Hernandez – 6.0: Enjoying a run in the side ahead of Joaquin on the Valencia right, and enjoyed a decent first half before becoming a bystander to Messi's wonderful goals.

Alejandro Dominguez – 6.0: Given a rare start but still looks to be off the pace since his January move, and was replaced by Zigic before the hour mark.

Subs

Nikola Zigic - 5.5: Missed a guilt-edged chance with the score at 1-0.

Manuel Fernandes - 5.5: Replaced Albelda before half-time but was given a torrid second half.

Ruben Baraja: 5.0: Replaced the injured Bruno.

Barcelona 3-0 Valencia

Barcelona bounced back in style after the 2-2 draw at Almeria last weekend saw them surrender the lead in La Liga. And after a difficult first half where they struggled to contain a rampant Valencia, Lionel Messi struck a stunning hat-trick to send the Blaugrana back on the winning trail.

The match started with the usual high intensity tempo that has typified encounters between these two sides in the past with the action swinging from end to end. Valencia created the first opening of the contest four minutes in when Miguel whipped in a cross from the right for Jordi Alba, who outjumped Dani Alves but thumped his header just over the bar.

Barca were unable to impose their usual dominance in midfield, and Los Che continued to look the more threatening side, especially on the counter attack. Pablo Hernandez had a chance on 18 minutes when he cut inside Maxwell, but a curling shot with his weaker left foot was easily saved by Victor Valdes. Moments later, the winger had an identical opportunity but again, his low drive sailed straight to Valdes.

The Blaugrana didn’t test Cesar Sanchez in the Valencia goal until the 22nd minute when Gaby Milito’s header from a Xavi corner bobbled off Miguel, but the veteran shot-stopper comfortably dived low to his left to gather the ball.

Cesar had to be very alert again on the half hour mark when he had to dash off his line cautiously to tip the ball away from Lionel Messi’s feet after Bojan’s through ball took a wicked deflection into the box.

Barcelona continued to look uncomfortable at the back and they were exposed again when David Silva lofted a high ball to Chori Dominguez at the byline, but the Argentine’s clever cutback to Hedwiges Maduro was slapped away by Valdes.

Minutes later, Alba was released down the left but despite having a clean view of goal, he could only shoot straight at the Barca custodian.

Straight to the other end, it was Messi who broke through on goal after robbing the ball off Angel Dealbert, but his sidefooted effort was tipped into the side netting by an on-rushing Cesar, although the referee only pointed to a goal kick. The two squared off again shortly, as Messi tried to squeeze the ball past the Valencia No. 1 at the byline but from a near impossible angle, ‘Little Lionel’s’ effort was blocked off.

Five minutes before the break, Messi had the Camp Nou crowd on their feet when he had to confront a line of five defenders infront of him as he made a dash towards goal. He skipped past two before spraying the ball wide to Pedro, who could only scuff his shot wide.

The frantic tempo of the game picked up again at the end of the first period but neither side could find the breakthrough before heading back to the dressing room.

With coach Pep Guardiola watching from the stands as he serves out his one-game touchline ban, Barca sent in Thierry Henry for Bojan for the restart. And the Catalans made sure that they were the ones who made the more threatening start to the second period.

The Blaugrana pressed forward in numbers immediately and Xavi had the first chance of the half when he was picked out by Dani Alves, but the unmarked playmaker mistimed his header and smashed his attempt high and wide.

The best scoring chance came on 52 minutes when Henry burst down the right and pulled a low cross back to Messi, whose first time shot was miraculously kept out by Cesar’s outstretched toes. But the incessant pressure paid off on 55 minutes as Barcelona deservedly went ahead. Messi picked up a pass from Xavi and breezed past three defenders before slotting home a clinical finish past Cesar at the near post.

Barca thought they had doubled their advantage on 66 minutes when Xavi’s blistering shot was parried out by Cesar and Maxwell easily tapped the rebound into the empty net, but the flag had already gone up for offside.

Los Che should have equalised on 68 minutes when Pablo released Nikola Zigic clean through on goal with no Barca defenders in sight, but the giant striker’s tame shot outside the box was blocked by Valdes. And Valencia were quickly punished for that gilt-edged miss when Maduro was sent off for a late tackle on Messi.

With ten minutes on the clock, Messi made it 2-0 to Barcelona with another superlative strike. Henry’s long ball from the left flank was brought down expertly by the Argentine, who charged into the box, checked past Dealbert and rifled the ball into the bottom corner.

And before Valencia could catch their breath, Messi completed his hat-trick. The visitors lost the ball in their own half and allowed Henry to slip Lionel towards goal. ‘El Mesias’ again outfoxed Dealbert before clipping a cheeky shot past a stranded Cesar with the inside of his right foot.

Los Che were shell shocked and they quietly faded away into the Camp Nou night as Messi left the pitch to a standing ovation while increasing his tally to 22 goals in the Pichichi race.

Player Ratings: Almeria 2-2 Barcelona

Almeria

Diego Alves - 7: Could do nothing about the goals, and salvaged a point for the hosts with a series of great saves.

Juanma Ortiz - 6: Didn't get forward much, but defended his flank adequately

Chico - 7: Did a good job in shackling Ibrahimovic, nullifying him for the entire game.

Hernan Pellerano - 7: Along with his partner, completely shut Ibrahimovic out of the game.

Cisma - 7: Didn't make any mistakes in defence, and rose well to head home the opener.

Hernan Bernardello - 6: Looked a bit overwhelmed at times in the second half, but provided decent support to the rest of the defenders.

Modeste M'Bami - 7: Full of running and nice touches, proved a nuisance in midfield and provided some attacking threat as well.

Fernando Soriano - 5: The captain missed a glorious chance to grab the winner late on.

Guilherme - 7: A constant nuisance down the left flank, provided the "assist" for Puyol's own goal.

Pablo Piatti - 5: A fairly quiet performance, especially given that Barca had ten men for most of the second half.

Albert Crusat - 6: Put plenty of effort in, but was often lacking the final ball.

Substitutes

Henok Goitom - 7: Looked extremely dangerous after coming on, but could have done better with some chances.

Kalu Uche - N/A

Jose Ortiz - N/A

Barcelona

Victor Valdes - 6: Not to blame for any of the goals, and didn't really have any other saves to make.

Daniel Alves - 6: Provided plenty of support going forward, but left his flank open far too much, not to mention a ridiculous dive.

Carles Puyol - 5: Was having a great game until the somewhat unfortunate own goal, after which his confidence appeared to be shattered.

Gabriel Milito - 7: By far the most assured of the defence, looks set to be a regular starter from now on.

Maxwell - 7: An encouraging performance down the left, providing plenty of support for the forwards.

Yaya Toure - 7: Didn't have much to do early on, but provided good balance in midfield.

Xavi - 7: As usual, never gave the ball away, but didn't provide the cutting edge in attack that he normally does.

Andres Iniesta - 7: Plenty of intent and some fantastic dribbles, but lacked the final product at times.

Pedro - 6: Showed his blistering pace at times, but also wasted some good openings.

Lionel Messi - 8: Easily the best player on the pitch, scored a sublime free-kick, and was unlucky not to add to his other goal.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 4: An anonymous performance until his debatable red card, he looks a shadow of the player who started the season so well.

Substitutes

Sergi Busquets - 6: Provided good balance after coming on.

Almeria 2-2 Barcelona

Almeria 2-2 Barcelona - Lineups/Stats

La Liga Fixtures, Results

Almeria twice led against Barcelona tonight, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Domingo Cisma and a Carles Puyol own goal had given the hosts the lead, but Lionel Messi twice pegged them back while Pep Guardiola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were both shown red cards.

Following a 15-minute delay to proceedings, Xavi tested Diego Alves before Lionel Messi played in Pedro who slid the ball across the six-yard box but Hernan Pellerano made a superb intervention to clear the danger.

In the 12th minute, Almeria took the lead against the run of play. After Carles Puyol gave away a needless corner, Fernando Soriano whipped in the set piece and Domingo Cisma jumped above Puyol to head past Victor Valdes into the corner.

Five minutes later, Alves conceded a free kick for picking up a backpass, but his indiscretion went unpunished as Barca made nothing of the opportunity. Messi then won a free kick on the edge of the box as he went down following Pellerano's challenge, but Alves made a good save from Xavi's curling effort.

Guilherme tested Valdes' reactions with a shot from the left hand side of the box and the keeper was fortunate to see Puyol on hand to clear the danger after he spilled a simple shot. Pedro and Iniesta combined well midway through the first half, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed woefully wide after Iniesta sent in a delightful cross.

Real Madrid players and fans would have been watching on with delight at Almeria's efforts, and just before the half hour the referee decided to send Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to the stands for protesting.

The majority of the possession belonged to Barcelona, but Almeria were defending stoically against the Blaugrana's attacks. In the 42nd minute, Ibrahimovic and Hernan Bernardello tumbled over on the edge of the box and the referee surprisingly blew for a free kick in the visitors' favour. This time there was no mistake as Messi stood up and chipped it over the wall into the corner, with Alves completely flat-footed.

The second half began in much the same fashion as the first finished, with the visitors dominating possession and territory. Almeria still posed a threat, and after Soriano shaped to shoot on the edge of the box he played a clever through ball for Guilherme, who fired the ball across goal but couldn't quite find Piatti.

The threat of Guilherme wasn't heeded, and the Brazilian was able to put another low cross into the box in the 57th minute and this time Puyol could only turn it into his own net. Valdes was furious as he felt he could have claimed the cross himself, but the Spanish champions were behind again.

It went from bad to worse on the hour mark when Ibrahimovic needlessly kicked out at Cisma in the penalty area with the ball nowhere near either player, and the Swede was deservedly sent off.

Messi had a chance to equalise for a second time in the 64th minute when he lined up a free kick in an almost identical position to the one from which he scored in the first half, but this time it flew off target. Minutes later, he was not so profligate. Pedro crossed the ball into the box and Guilherme's poor header came to the feet of Messi to turn home from close range.

The Argentine was carrying Barcelona on his shoulders as he weaved his way past a couple of challenges before bringing a good save from Alves, while Xavi fired a shot inches over the bar after easing past Modeste M'Bami. Dani Alves threw himself to the floor after easily beating Cisma in order to try and win a penalty, but the referee was having none of it.

Albert Crusat then tried exactly the same tactic at the other end against Dani Alves, but he was no more successful than the Brazilian full back had been. Almeria should have taken the lead for a third time after Henok Goitom beat Puyol before cutting the ball back to Soriano, but he blasted his shot over the bar.

With 10 minutes to go, Barcelona were looking to Messi for more inspiration and he nearly provided it with a shot from the edge of the box, but Alves made a superb stop to his left. Almeria were also looking for the winning goal, with Kalu Uche breaking into the box with just a couple of minutes to go but his shot flashed wide of the near post.

That was to be the last of the action, and the referee called time on an entertaining 2-2 draw after four minutes of injury time.