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 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…

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.

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.

FC Barcelona 5-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (1st Leg Quarter Finals UEFA Champions League 2010/2011)

FC Barcelona have one foot in the semi-finals, with Real Madrid CF their likely opponents, after soaring to a wonderful 5-1 victory over FC Shakhtar Donetsk that left the visitors ruing a hatful of first-half misses.

Everyone danced to Lionel Messi's beat but the goals carried the signatures of Andrés Iniesta, Daniel Alves, Gerard Piqué, Seydou Keita and Xavi Hernández. Nevertheless, Mircea Lucescu will know the opportunities his side wasted, plus Yaroslav Rakitskiy's second-half goal, meant that until Xavi wrapped things up four minutes from time the tie remained tantalising.

The quarter-final first leg was absorbing from the off. The Ukrainian titleholders were already beginning to move the ball with slick menace when Messi flew off on a trademark dribble. Amid the trail of distruction he left, Iniesta seized possession and finished right-footed past Andriy Pyatov.

There were just two minutes on the clock yet Lucescu's side play with the quick-passing verve of the Spanish champions and reacted with such ferocity that they might have scored three before Barça increased their advantage. Four minutes after Iniesta's breakthrough, Willian cut in from the left and despite the improbable angle forced a brilliant save from Víctor Valdés.

Luiz Adriano then had two one-on-one chances against the overworked home goalkeeper, coming second best on both occasions, before Valdés raced out to clear brilliantly from the Brazilian striker as Alves horribly misplaced a pass. His excellence earned him a bit of luck, too, with Willian volleying just wide of Valdés' vacated goal.

Messi in particular hauled Barcelona back into the game, tirelessly dragging Shakhtar's markers this way and that until Iniesta had time and space to clip a pass which intersected Alves' perfectly timed sprint beyond the offside trap. He controlled on the run and prodded past Pyatov.

The danger, for Barcelona, was that the Pitmen played with blistering pace up front and, missing Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal, Sergio Busquets was tested to the limit at sweeper. However, the hosts emerged after the restart back at full tilt. Messi and David Villa had attempts on goal before Piqué, taking advantage of a well-worked Xavi corner, drove home his second goal in as many games eight minutes in.

His effort took a deflection off Rakitskiy but there was redemption for the Shakhtar defender when he directed in Darijo Srna's free-kick on the hour. Following immediately after the booking of Iniesta, which means he misses the second leg, there was a momentary hush at the Camp Nou. But only a moment. Within 60 seconds Messi's run and glided pass allowed Keita thrash into the top corner to the rapture of the home crowd.

Still Shakhtar responded, Luiz Adriano smashing a shot off Valdés' right-hand post, with the ball bouncing back to the keeper. Messi had a goal ruled offside before Xavi rounded things off, in the process all but ending the slender ambitions of the visitors.

FC Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal (2nd Leg 8th UEFA Champions League 2010/2011)

A controversial red card helped Barcelona through to the last eight of the Champions League after a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi nabbed his seventh and eighth goals of the tournament and Xavi added another for the Catalan giants, who turned around a surprise 2-1 defeat at the Emirates in their opening leg to clinch the last-16 tie 4-3 over Arsenal.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will feel aggrieved by Robin van Persie's undeserved sending off after the Dutchman racked up a second caution, but in truth Arsenal were not much for the contest after failing to produce a single shot on target.

The opening period also saw the Gunners lose goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to a finger injury sustained while collecting a Dani Alves free kick, although replacement custodian Manuel Almunia saved Arsenal from humiliation as Barcelona took a complete hold of the game in the final stages.

Almunia had his hands full immediately after his entrance as Messi threatened often, while David Villa cut back a shot on too tight an angle and Adriano tested out the near post as Barca repeatedly pushed down the left.

Van Persie, frustrated by a lack of opportunities up forward, took umbrage to Barcelona accusations that Jack Wilshere was feigning injury and remonstrated with Eric Abidal, before seeing yellow for shoving his hand in Dani Alves' face.

The incident incited the Camp Nou crowd into song, and they only grew louder as Messi put the hosts ahead with a moment of sheer brilliance.

Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas was at fault in the goal, attempting a clever back-heel that was easily picked off by Andres Iniesta and played forward to Messi, who bobbled the ball over the oncoming Almunia and smashed a left-footed volley into the net.

The Gunners entered the dressing rooms looking downcast, but eight minutes after the break they had an unlikely equaliser.

It came from Samir Nasri's corner kick, which floated in at the near post and glanced off Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets for an own goal.

But their joy was short-lived as Van Persie was sent off six minutes later, referee Massimo Busacca harshly producing a second caution after the Dutchman ran on after being called offside and blasted wide of the goal.

Van Persie pleaded with Buscacca, protesting that he did not hear the offside call about the noise of the Camp Nou, but to no avail.

The sending off sparked Barca into action and they had soon levelled the tie at 3-3, with Iniesta playing forward and sliding a pass to Villa, whose brilliant one-touch worked Xavi into the box for a neat side-footed finish past Almunia.

Two minutes later it was all over for Arsenal, Messi wresting the advantage in Barca's favour with a cool finish from the spot after Laurent Koscielny tripped up Pedro in the area.

Almunia kept the Gunners in the contest with a number of fine saves, but substitute Nicklas Bendtner gave Barca a scare with a late surge into the area, but his first touch was poor and Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes came off his line to intercept the Dane.

Messi surprised at winning world award

Argentina forward Lionel Messi said he "wasn't expecting to triumph" after fending off FC Barcelona team-mates Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or in Zurich.

Argentina forward Lionel Messi beat off competition from FC Barcelona team-mates Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta to win the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or award at a gala ceremony held in Zurich.

The 23-year-old – winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or awards last year, which have now been merged – admitted he "wasn't expecting to triumph" this time around after he collected the trophy from his Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola.

"This is a very special day for me," Messi told the congregation at the Zurich Kongresshaus. "I would obviously like to share this with all of my team-mates because if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be up here accepting this award. There was so much talk beforehand of Andrés Iniesta or Xavi Hernández winning so I'm as surprised as anyone.

"It's fantastic to win another one of these trophies and I hope now that things continue going well at Barcelona and that I can achieve with Argentina. On a personal level, I'm conscious that Barcelona are doing really well and that we're picking up individual awards because of that. This time it's my turn to win one."

Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals of last summer's FIFA World Cup, but Messi excelled on the domestic front, finishing as the Spanish Liga's top scorer with 34 goals in 35 appearances to help Barça win their 20th league title. He was also top scorer in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League with his team eventually falling at the semi-final stage.

Current Real Madrid CF coach José Mourinho was also honoured at the ceremony, receiving the FIFA World Coach of the Year award for his achievements with FC Internazionale Milano last season. The Portuguese led Inter to a historic treble of UEFA Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia triumphs.

The FIFA Women's World Player of the Year was won by Brazil's Marta for the fifth time in successsion while the FIFA Puskás Award for 2010's best goal was taken by Turkey's Hamit Altıntop for his strike against Kazakhstan in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying victory in September.

Messi was one of six Barcelona players named in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI. The full lineup is:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF); Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona), Lucio (FC Internazionale Milano), Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona), Maicon (FC Internazionale Milano); Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona), Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona), Wesley Sneijder (FC Internazionale Milano), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF); Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), David Villa (FC Barcelona).

Xavi on Ballon d´Or honour

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez would consider winning the Ballon d'Or an honour, but is happy just to be in contention.

Xavi, 30, has been nominated for European football's most prestigious individual award along with national and club teammates Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

He faces stiff competition for the prize from Iniesta, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, and Argentinean holder Messi, who continues to astound with his goal-scoring exploits for club and country.

"I would be very excited to win, because it is the best award you can win at an individual level, but I will not lose sleep over it," Xavi said.

"Just being there, along with Andres and Leo, makes me very happy."

Xavi set a new record for Barcelona appearances in his 550th match against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

He made his debut in 1998 after graduating from the famed Barcelona youth academy and intends to see out his career with the La Liga champions.

"For me, to defend the Barcelona shirt is everything and I cannot imagine defending another," he said.

"It is the club of my life. I am very happy and proud to have broken the record."

"I have played football all my life, and I intend to continue here for many years. I have left my injury problems behind, because I practically no longer suffer in games."

Guardiola praise for Xavi

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola praised the longevity of midfielder Xavi after he equalled the club record of 549 appearances for the Catalans.

Xavi played in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Levante on Sunday, and Guardiola predicted there are many more matches to come for the 30-year-old.

"This game belongs to Xavi. I reached 300 matches and that seemed an outrage. Migueli played 549 and retired at 38," Guardiola told AS.

"But Xavi is 30 years of age and has played 549 games. Xavi will surpass Migueli, I would not be surprised if he managed to reach 700 games."

Guardiola was also full of praise for Pedro, whose brace set up the victory at the Camp Nou, likening the winger to the seemingly incomparable Lionel Messi, who was rested for the match.

"Pedro is very important. He is in the form of his life and does almost everything brilliantly, he is a very fine player," he said.

"When he is near the area he is like Messi, in that he only sees the goal. But he works very hard for the team as well."

Espanyol 1-5 FC Barcelona (Matchday 16 La Liga 2010/2011)

FC Barcelona hammered local rivals Espanyol 5-1 in La Liga on Saturday, while Villarreal and Valencia also won.

Espanyol held Barca to a 0-0 draw last season in the first Catalan derby at the new Estadi Cornella El-Prat, but there was no repeat this time around, with the league leaders maintaining their extraordinary goal-scoring form.

Pedro made the breakthrough in the 19th minute, before Xavi Hernandez made it two 11 minutes later.

Pedro grabbed his second just after the hour mark, before Pablo Osvaldo struck for the hosts, scoring the first goal conceded by Barca in six games in all competitions.

There was no sign of a comeback for Espanyol though, who fell further behind to a brace from Spain international David Villa in the final 15 minutes.

Barca are now five points clear of second-place Real Madrid, who take on Sevilla on Sunday.

Villarreal bounced back from a 1-0 defeat away to Getafe last week with a 3-1 win at home to Mallorca.

Jonathan de Guzman cancelled out Santi Cazorla's opener, but Giuseppe Rossi restored Villarreal's lead from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.

Brazil international Nilmar sealed the win with Valencia's third in the 51st minute.

Valencia fell behind to a Xabi Prieto penalty 23 minutes into their match away to Real Sociedad, but Alberto Costa levelled in first-half injury time before Aritz Aduriz struck a 91st minute winner to steal all three points at the death.

Goals from Igor Gabilondo and Javi Mart?nez helped Athletic Bilbao climbed to sixth with a 2-1 win away to Levante, while Diego Castro Gimenez secured a 1-1 draw for Sporting Gijon with an 89th-minute equaliser away to Deportivo La Coruna.

FC Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (Matchday 13 La Liga 2010/2011)

Real Madrid CF's unbeaten start to the season was ended in spectacular fashion as FC Barcelona inflicted a stunning 5-0 reverse on José Mourinho's men in the campaign's first 'Clásico'.

David Villa celebrates one of his two goals early in the second half

Real Madrid CF's unbeaten opening to the Liga campaign came to a shuddering halt at Camp Nou as FC Barcelona crushed José Mourinho's men 5-0 in the season's first 'Clásico'.

Josep Guardiola's team never looked back after storming into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes with strikes from Xavi Hernández and Pedro Rodríguez. David Villa's double in the space of four second-half minutes underlined the superiority of the home side on the night with Jeffren ensuring Madrid were toppled from the summit to two points behind an irrepressible Barça.

Barcelona quickly forced their rivals into retreat and Lionel Messi's brilliance almost broke the deadlock after five minutes, his sublime curling effort striking the far upright. The Catalan faithful did not have long to wait for the opener, though, as Andrés Iniesta's purposeful burst and incisive pass allowed Xavi to poke past Iker Casillas from close range in the tenth minute.

Ángel Di María tested Víctor Valdés as Madrid attempted to establish a foothold but instead the rug was pulled from under them as the hosts added a second. Xavi fired a cross-field pass that found Villa in space, the striker darting past Sergio Ramos and driving in a low cross that evaded the grasp of Casillas leaving Pedro the simplest of finishes.

Mourinho shuffled his pack at the interval with Lassana Diarra replacing Mesut Özil but the Blaugrana continued to dictate with Villa thwarted by Casillas and Xavi slicing into the side-netting with the goalkeeper scrambling back shortly after the resumption.

The third goal, ten minutes after half-time, came as no surprise with Messi's scything pass controlled by Villa and the Spain striker finishing with aplomb across the face of Casillas. Los Merengues were shell-shocked but Messi and Villa were relentless, another through ball from the Argentinian schemer dispatched by his strike partner on 58 minutes to send the Camp Nou supporters into early victory celebrations.

There was time for a final hurrah in stoppage time as Bojan Krkić sped down the right flank and crossed for fellow substitute Jeffren to flip a nonchalant fifth past a bemused Casillas. Madrid's misery was compounded when Sergio Ramos received a red card to complete a remarkable evening's entertainment.

Goals

Xavi 10' (assist by Iniesta)	1 - 0
Pedro 18' (assist by Villa)	2 - 0
Villa 55' (assist by L. Messi)	3 - 0
Villa 58' (assist by L. Messi)	4 - 0
Jeffren 90' (assist by Bojan)	5 - 0

Lineups

#	Player	Bookings
1	Victor Valdés	33'
5	Puyol	81'
22	E. Abidal
2	Dani Alves
3	Piqué
8	Iniesta
6	Xavi	10' 90'
16	Busquets
10	L. Messi	45'
7	Villa	34' 55' 58'
17	Pedro	18'
Coach: Josep Guardiola

#	Player	Bookings
1	Casillas	57'
4	Sergio Ramos	73' 90'
2	Ricardo Carvalho	71'
3	Pepe	36'
12	Marcelo
14	Xabi Alonso	51'
23	M. Özil
24	S. Khedira	75'
22	Á. Di María
7	Cristiano Ronaldo	33'
9	K. Benzema
Coach: J. Mourinho

Substitutes

#	Player	Bookings
9	Bojan for Villa 76'
11	Jeffren for Pedro 87'	90'
15	S. Keita for Xavi 87'
21	Adriano
14	J. Mascherano
19	Maxwell
13	Pinto

#	Player	Bookings
10	L. Diarra for M. Özil 46'
17	Arbeloa for Marcelo 60'
18	Albiol
20	G. Higuaín
25	J. Dudek
6	M. Diarra
21	Pedro León

Additional info

Referee:

E. Iturralde Gonzalez

Assistants:

R. Diaz Perez Del Palomar
J. Núnez Fernández

Fourth official:

A. Latorre

Athletic Bilbao 1-3 FC Barcelona (Matchday 5 La Liga 2010/2011)

Champions Barcelona leapfrogged rivals Real Madrid to go second in the Spanish first division thanks to a 3-1 win at 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Barca notched their third consecutive league victory with second half goals from Seydou Keita, Xavi and Sergi Busquets after Bilbao had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Fernando Amorebieta on 33 minutes.

Barcelona also had David Villa sent off in the closing stages as Bilbao made it 2-1 but Busquets scored with the last kick of the game to seal the win.

Barcelona capitalised on Real's slip-up but should have put 10-man Bilbao to the sword at San Mames hitting the post twice and missing other opportunities in their 3-1 triumph.

The visitors were sharp early on ignoring the torrential rain to play their passing game and had two golden chances in the opening quarter hour.

Keita latched onto a Xavi pass on 10 minutes but his shot lacked the necessary power and goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz parried the effort.

Three minutes later Andres Iniesta produced a perfectly-weighted pass for Villa but he crashed his shot against the post.

Barca were on top and were given an extra edge on 33 minutes when Amorebieta was harshly sent off for a late lunge on Iniesta.

Amorebieta was stretching as he caught Iniesta late and his punishment of a straight red card was severe.

With one man more Barcelona failed to make inroads and Mikel San Jose hit the post for 10-man Bilbao four minutes after the interval.

It stung Barca into action with Keita running onto a first time pass from Villa to slot home on 54 minutes.

A deflected shot from Xavi on 73 minutes gave Barcelona some breathing space although they needed a late goal from Busquets to calm their nerves after Bilbao had pulled a late goal back.

Barcelona didn't have Lionel Messi due to an ankle injury but hope to have the Argentine back for the trip to Russia to face Rubin Kazan in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Xavi: Villa is a ten-star signing

(GSM) - Barcelona midfielder Xavi is delighted his side managed to sign Valencia star David Villa.

Barca's playmaker hopes to win the World Cup this summer with his new teammate.

"Villa is here to make a difference, it is a pleasure to have Villa in any team," said Xavi. "This is fantastic news. He is a great player and a great goal scorer.

"This is a ten out of ten signing by Barcelona.

"You could say he has similar characteristics to Samuel Eto'o."

On Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, he added: "Villa and Cesc, if he comes too, are welcome and will continue the football that characterizes us and they'll help us achieve further success."

Highlights : Villarreal CF 1-4 FC Barcelona

Goals
0 - 1 19' L. Messi http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1445911305954&ref=mf
0 - 2 34' Xavi http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1446520321179&ref=mf
0 - 3 42' Bojan Krkichttp://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1446529641412&ref=mf
1 - 4 88' L. Messi http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1446556242077&ref=mf

Player Ratings : Villarreal CF 1-4 FC Barcelona

VILLARREAL

Diego Lopez: 5 - Although the goals were all of high quality, he still had to pick the ball out of the back of his net on four occasions.

Angel Lopez: 5.5 - Tried to support the attack down the right hand side but often found himself all at sea defensively.

Gonzalo: 4 - Easily turned by Bojan and couldn't match him for pace as the youngster raced through for the third goal.

Godin: 5 - His touch unintentionally took Messi's shot past Diego Lopez, but he also frequently tried to step up and play offside which often didn't work and left him out of position.

Capdevila: 6 - Feared having to face Messi prior to the game and struggled when face-to-face with the Argentine, but did better against Pedro.

Cani: 5.5 - Showed some great touches in midfield, particularly early on, but faded quickly as he didn't cope defensively and was substituted at half time.

Ibagaza: 5 - Involved in a couple of attacking moves in the opening minutes but was otherwise almost unnoticeable. Replaced by Llorente for the second half.

Bruno: 5.5 - Committed a number of fouls in midfield and was slack in possession, although he did try to make amends by keeping the pressure on Barcelona midfield to try and win the ball back.

Cazorla: 5.5 - One or two bright moments but his overall impact on the game in an attacking sense was limited.

Nilmar: 6 - He missed two clear-cut chances early on, including one when he should have scored after being played through on goal. Slightly redeemed himself when he set up Llorente's goal.

Rossi: 5.5 - Gave Puyol some problems in the first half with his pace and skill on the ball but he couldn't get in possession often enough.

Substitutes:

Llorente: 6.5 - Tucked away Villarreal's only goal of the game but it was no more than a consolation.

Senna: 6.5 - It was no surprise that Villarreal looked a better side after he came on as he put in another authoritative performance.

Fuster: N/A - Replaced Rossi in the 81st minute.

BARCELONA

Valdes: 5.5 - His kicking was highly questionable and could have been punished twice after rushing out of his area to make clearances.

Dani Alves: 6.5 - Set up the final goal with an inch-perfect cross and dealt with the combined threat of Capdevila and Cazorla comfortably.

Puyol: 6.5 - After the first 10 minutes when Villarreal created some clear chances, he had a comfortable evening in defence and mopped up any loose balls.

Pique: 7 - Always looked to drive forward from defence when he was on the ball, while he positioned himself well to make it difficult for Nilmar to capitalise on Valdes' mistake early on.

Maxwell: 6 - Supported the attack on the left hand side, although he was slightly out of position when Nilmar slid a pass through for Llorente to reduce the deficit.

Xavi: 8.5 - Scored with a perfect free kick into the corner. Laid on two assists in the first half and also provided the killer pass that lead to the fourth goal.

Busquets: 7 - Won back a lot of balls in midfield before spreading the play towards Xavi and the front three. Protected the defence well until he was replaced by Toure.

Keita: 6.5 - Provided a threat in the air at set pieces and supported Maxwell on the left hand side, but he was arguably the least impressive of the midfield trio.

Messi: 8 - Both of his goals could be interpreted as being a touch fortunate as his first took a potentially decisive deflection off Godin while his first touch for his second goal was a little heavy, but it was another excellent showing.

Bojan: 7.5 - Showed his quality with a fine performance, topped off with a superb goal when he turned and skipped round Gonzalo before firing into the far corner.

Pedro: 6.5 - Provided a good outlet on the wing and caused some problems when he cut inside or put in a cross towards Messi.

Substitutes:

Toure: N/A - Came on for Busquets with 10 minutes to go.

Ibrahimovic: N/A - Involved in the build-up to the fourth goal.

Jeffren: N/A - Replaced Messi in the final minutes.

Villarreal CF 1-4 FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona delivered the perfect response to their elimination from the UEFA Champions League in midweek by defeating Villarreal CF 4-1 at El Madrigal.

The victory means the Liga titleholders extend their lead over second-placed Real Madrid CF to four points ahead of Los Merengues' home game against CA Osasuna on Sunday. Lionel Messi (19) made Nilmar pay for missing two chances in the opening eight minutes with his first goal in six matches, receiving Xavi Hernández's pass inside the area and beating Diego López with the aid of a slight deflection.

Provider turned scorer a quarter of an hour later when Xavi expertly curled a free-kick over the wall before Bojan Krkić increased the visitors' lead three minutes before the break with a neat finish into the bottom corner. Substitute Joseba Llorente pulled one back for the sixth-placed hosts midway through the second half only for Messi (88) to restore the three-goal lead.

Nikola Žigić (61, 74) scored twice as Valencia CF took a firm stranglehold on third spot with a 2-0 win at RCD Espanyol – with three games remaining Unai Emery's team are nine points clear of RCD Mallorca, who have a game in hand. At the other end, third-bottom CD Tenerife moved level with the club immediately above them, Málaga CF, thanks to a 2-1 home victory against a Real Racing Club side who are only one point and two places better off. Felipe Caicedo salvaged Málaga what could prove a vital point at home to Real Sporting de Gijón with an equaliser 11 minutes from time.

Real Valladolid CF, two points behind Tenerife, lost ground after drawing 0-0 with Getafe CF, who had David Cortés (57) sent off, while Real Zaragoza took a big step towards safety by winning 1-0 at RC Deportivo La Coruña. Bottom club Xerez CD kept their slim survival chances alive courtesy of a 2-1 triumph over UD Almería in a game which ended with both sides down to ten men.

Sevilla 0-1 Barcelona

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

Sevilla 0-1 Barcelona (agg: 2-2) - Lineup/Stats

Copa del Rey Fixtures & Results

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

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

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

The Andalucians had another chance moments later when Adriano dinked in a cross from the left which drew out Pinto, who did just enough to flail at the ball and forced Alvaro Negredo to nod his header off target.

The reigning Copa del Rey champions continued to be pinned back in their own half, and Jesus Navas' blistering 50 yard run to beat Eric Abidal and Andres Iniesta sent the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan crowd leaping to their feet, but his eventual cross was easily cleared by Gerard Pique.

Barca's first decent shot at goal came on 15 minutes when Thierry Henry cut in towards the middle from the left, but his shot was easily gathered by Andres Palop.

Sevilla had the ball in the back of the net in the 20th minute when a Pinto carelessly attempted to dribble a backpass out of his area, but he was robbed by Negredo and Jesus Navas coolly chipped the ball into the empty net, only for the referee to annul the goal after deeming that the former Real Madrid striker had illegally won possession.

Barcelona had the best chance of the game on 27 minutes when Messi's deflected cross found Ibrahimovic completely unmarked at the backpost, but the Swede's attempt to curl a right-foot lob past Palop went horribly wrong as his effort bobbled all the way to the corner flag.

Moments later, Messi had his first shot at goal when he tried to nestle the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards out, but Palop dived full stretch to turn it around the post. The Catalan outfit gradually took control of proceedings and the home crowd began to grow restless, and Henry gave Palop a few nervous moments with a number of dangerous low crosses from the left.

But despite the game remaining an open affair, neither side could break the deadlock on the night after 45 minutes.

Barcelona started off the second half at breakneck speed as they started to show more urgency. Just a minute in, Messi picked up a loose ball off Ibrahimovic and galloped forwards, before slipping in a through ball to Iniesta which Palop managed to claim after darting off his line.

Ibrahimovic then sent a looping back header from Messi's free kick towards the top corner but Palop made an acrobatic save to punch it out.

Straight to the other end, Navas again saw his effort roll across the line but he was ruled out for offside. The action didn't let up and Iniesta came close on 55 minutes when he dribbled past three players into the box, but he miscued his eventual shot under a challenge from Julien Escude and Abdoulay Konko was able to clear it away calmly.

Messi then forced Palop into a fine save with a shot from a tight angle and the veteran goalkeeper was called into action again with a fingertip block to deny Henry.

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

Three minutes after that, Messi almost put the visitors in front outright when he ran onto Henry's through ball but his chip over Palop bounced wide. The FIFA World Player of the Year had another glorious opportunity moments later when he shimmied his way into the box and curled in a shot, only to see it cannon back off the post before Ibrahimovic stabbed the rebound well wide.

With 15 minutes to go, Sevilla almost killed off the tie on the counter attack. Jesus Navas blitz past three players in a searing run before slipping in Diego Capel, who decided to square the ball to Negredo in the middle but Puyol made a pivotal sliding tackle to flick the ball out for a corner at the far post.

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

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

Reflect On Barcelona's Win Over Espanyol

Pedro And Xavi Reflect On Barcelona's Win Over Espanyol

The midfielder touched on the controversial penalty

Barcelona continued their impressive form in La Liga with a win over Espanyol, maintaining their lead on top of the table.

Speaking to Sport after the game, Pedro offered his thoughts on the match, saying, "This allows us to remain on top of the table."

Meanwhile, Xavi analyzed the game in further detail, starting with the penalty, saying, "Baena fouled me and stopped me from challenging for the ball."

"He admitted it on the pitch. They defender very well, but did not do anything in attack.

"They wanted to spoil our rhythm by fouling.

"It was an ugly game that, fortunately, we won."

Player Ratings: Dynamo Kiev 1-2 Barcelona

Xavi and Lionel Messi powered the Blaugrana past their pesky hosts

DYNAMO KIEV

Shovkovskiy - 6 - Made some fine saves and generally had a very good game. Needs to improve on his distribution.

Betao - 6 - Got around the defence well and slid in with some crucial tackles that stopped goal scoring chances.

Vukojevic - 5.5 - Struggled to cope with the pace and movement of Barca's forwards but looked dominant in the air when there was a rare high ball to defend.

Almeida - 6 - Good silky player. Has a very good pass on him and excellent vision. However, he needs to work on his positioning when Dynamo don't have the ball.

Mikhalik - 5 - Poor game. Hardly aware of his name or presence on the pitch.

Eremenko - 6 - Made some good runs and worked his socks off for the team. Passing was crisp but inventiveness was lacking.

Magrao - 7 - Very good display. Ran around like a toddler with endless energy and made countless tackles to keep his side in the game.

Yussuf - 6 - Frustrating player to watch. One moment brilliant and the next very poor. Consistency has to get better.

Milevskiy - 7 - Took the goal very well and made a nuisance of himself all night long.

Yarmolenko - 6 - Good runs along the wing, dropped inside and did his best to get involved in the play.

Shevchenko - 6 - Some good passing and crosses but that was all. His team needed more from one of their most experienced players.

Subs

Ninkovic - N/A

BARCELONA

Valdes - 6 - Solid and very quick off his line but should have done better with the Dynamo goal.

Alves- 6.5 - Typical solid performance, ran up and down the pitch all night and looked solid in defence.

Pique - 6 - Did fairly well but got himself booked for a silly hand ball just seconds before half-time.

Puyol - 6 - A quiet game for the shark. Filled in the gaps when someone was out of position and tackled when he needed to.

Abidal - 6.5 - Ran the wing very well and got round to cover in defensive positions. Made some crucial interceptions.

Xavi - 7 - Good passes and great energy. Showed the enthusiasm of a striker as he burst into the box to slide in and score Barca's equaliser.

Iniesta - 6 - Disappointing but then he was played slightly out of position as he drifted in from the left.

Keita - 6 - Moved around well but is frustrating to watch. Has a tendency to dive in and go for tackles and balls when a little more patience is the better option.

Busquets - 6 - Not his best game in a Barca shirt but he got involved in the midfield battles and did all of the ugly things very well.

Ibrahimovic - 6.5 - Always a hand full and he made a nuisance of himself all night. Could not get over his headers and put too much of the emphasis on Messi.

Messi - 7.5 - Always hustling and bustling and looked very good. Curled in his free kick superbly but went down too easily under Dynamo's challenges.

Subs

Marquez - N/A

Pedro - N/A

Player Ratings: Xerez 0-2 Barcelona

XEREZ

Renan – 6: Surprisingly wasn’t too troubled in between the sticks. He was perhaps a beat to slow in coming out to claim Maxwell’s cross which allowed Henry to score but could do nothing about Ibrahimovic’s delicate chip.

Francis – 6: Kept Henry on a tight leash at all times and even found space to burst forward. But he left his flank wide open in the build up to Barca’s opener and was completely exposed in the latter stages of the game as the visitors carved up two quick chances.

Aythami – 6: Marshalled his defence well but he was just pipped to the ball by Henry. Had a few openings himself from set-pieces at the other end.

Gioda – 6: Always made himself available to cut across to either flank to help cover.

Casado – 6.5: Looked as though he would have a long night ahead against Bojan but as the game wore on, he got the better of the Barca youngster. Always in control of his wing even when Messi came on.

Sidi Keita – 6: Stayed just in front of the back four throughout the game. Did marvellously to shadow Xavi but when Barca’s big dogs were unleashed, he looked helpless.

Bergantinos – 6: Formed the perfect double pivot with Sidi and he was the link between defence and attack. Did well to distribute the ball forward on the counter.

Victor Sanchez – 5.5: Wasn’t allowed much room to impress on the right flank. Had one look-in at goal from a deep Orellana cross.

Carlos Calvo – 6.5: Threatened through the middle and down the left flank. Caused plenty of problems for the Barcelona rearguard as he drifted all across the midfield line.

Orellana – 7: Very lively down the left flank. Had plenty of speed and skill and gave Barca a few concerns with his runs and crosses, but ultimately did not have the confidence to really exploit the gaps at the back.

Bermejo – 5: Had to live off scraps but was presented with a glorious chance in the second half, which he spurned by squaring it to Orellana instead. As the lead striker, he should have gone for the shot.

Substitutes:

Antonito – 5: Barely had anything to show in the 30-plus minutes he was on.

Armenteros – 6: Lifted Xerez’s game as soon as he came on when his side enjoyed a large share of possession.

BARCELONA

Valdes – 6: With a makeshift backline protecting him, he didn’t look very assured of himself. Made a few poor judgement calls, especially with high ball and crosses, but kept a clean sheet in the end.

Dani Alves – 6.5: Left his position unattended on a few occasions but always doubled back in time. Looked lost in attack without his usual cohort, Messi but came to life when his regular playing partners were around.

Rafa Marquez – 7: Looks to be slowly regaining his confidence after a lengthy spell out. Barely put a foot wrong at the back.

Chygrynskiy – 6: Still finding his feet and frequently needed help from a team-mate to cover his man. Lost the ball a few times as he tried to bring it forward.

Maxwell – 6.5: Barely showed any attacking intent in the first half but as soon as he got forward at the start of the second, he set up the opening goal for Henry.

Xavi – 7: Showed some classy touches with his passing and through balls but unfortunately, none of his attacking colleagues were quite on the same wavelength as he was.

Toure – 6.5: A no fuss display as he kept it tight in midfield. Went across to the right to help cover for Dani Alves on a few occasions.

Seydou Keita – 7: Showed just why he has overtaken Yaya as the main holding midfielder. Ever present to clean up in defence but also always there to help out in the attacking third.

Pedro – 5: Without the attacking big guns, this was Pedro’s chance to shine but instead, he looked lost without his established compatriot. Anonymous throughout the game.

Henry – 6.5: Still not his energetic self. Never made any mazy runs past defenders and caught offside a few times. But he did show his predatory instincts as the centre-forward with a firm header from Maxwell’s cross.

Bojan – 6: Made a bright start but gradually disappeared from the game and never rose to the challenge as he made way for Ibrahimovic midway through the second half.

Substitutes:

Messi – 7: The newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner got into the game immediately and posed a constant menace. Hit the post late in the game just before setting up Ibra’s goal.

Ibrahimovic – 7: Once again, came off the bench to score, this time an audacious chip over the goalkeeper from outside the box.

Iniesta – 5: Missed a near-open goal from three yards out after being set up by Ibra. Didn’t really have time to exhibit his normal game as he only had seven minutes on the pitch.