Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as a rejuvenated Barcelona gave a football masterclass to inflict a humiliating 4-0 defeat on rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
Arsenal took the race to the final day last season and are strongly tipped to end Manchester City's dominance this time.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday
Barcelona forward Ansu Fati will be sidelined for four months after undergoing knee surgery, the La Liga club said on Monday.
Vinicius Jr came off the bench to score once and set up another goal to steer champions Real Madrid to a 4-1 fightback victory over Espanyol.
Hosts France will play an Olympic men's football final for the first time in 40 years after beating Egypt 3-1 in extra-time at the Lyon stadium on Monday and will face Spain for the gold medal.
The club have been trying to rebuild the squad with Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carles Alena being sold to make way for free signings Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.
A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday.
Having won eight of the past 12 league titles coming into this campaign, where has it gone so wrong for Barcelona?
Barcelona reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in four years
Chile showed more attacking flair but failed to execute the crucial final pass in a first half marred by injuries, with Peru's Luis Advincula subbed off in the 35th minute and Chilean midfielder Diego Valdes being replaced at half-time.
Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, failing to make it past the group stage of the competition for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of nine years for former Barcelona and Brazil soccer player Dani Alves who is due to stand trial on charges of sexual assault against a woman.
The three-judge panel denied a request by Alves's lawyer Ines Guardiola for the trial to be suspended on the basis that he was not given enough time to prepare for his first police interview after his arrest and had suffered a parallel trial by media.
Barca feel familiar February blues as tiredness sets in
Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer for a single soccer club on Tuesday after scoring his 644th goal for Barcelona during their La Liga match against Real Valladolid, surpassing Pele's record goal haul for Brazilian side Santos.
La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract is still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical.
Barcelona named former Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde on Monday as the successor to Luis Enrique and he will take charge of the La Liga runners-up on a two-year contract.
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique blamed the club's pre-season trips to the United States and Japan for their shaky start to the season.
The quarter-final draw was the last in the current format with UEFA adopting an all-new format from the 2024-25 season onwards.
Messi, who failed to turn up for pre-season training on Monday, had previously labelled his side 'weak' and 'inconsistent' after surrendering the league title to rivals Real Madrid.
Tsitsidosa era ends as Badosa announces split with Tsitsipas
Rafael Nadal said he would love to keep playing long enough for his son to remember him on court, though the 22-time Grand Slam champion concedes time is not on his side.
France and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top officials said, as Islamic State threats cast a shadow over Europe's top club soccer tournament.
Barcelona have been very active in the transfer market in recent years, completing three of the top six most expensive transfers ever.
Setien's complaint piled yet more pressure on president Josep Maria Bartomeu less than an hour after a group seeking his removal announced they had gathered enough signatures to force a vote of no-confidence against him.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Barcelona are taking measures to cut the wages of their players and staff to reduce the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis, the La Liga club said on Thursday. All professional players at Barcelona, including six-times world player of the year Lionel Messi, as well as non-playing staff, will face a compulsory wage reduction during the period of lockdown, the club's directors decided at a board meeting held via video conference.
'I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived. It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.'
However, Butt's father taught them a lot about the game.
The following is the draw for the Champions League last 16 which was held in Nyon on Monday:
Several players across the continent are poised to make a name for themselves on the international stage.
Aguero is expected to be the first of a number of arrivals at the Camp Nou this summer
Nadal was given a stiff test by the 24-year-old in a match which lasted almost three hours on centre court, and now faces Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Girona reclaimed top spot in LaLiga after beating champions Barcelona 4-2
Lionel Messi scored and grabbed two assists as La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win away to struggling Real Mallorca on Saturday, making the perfect return to action after Spanish football's three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The win takes Barca on to 61 points after 28 games, five clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid, who host Eibar on Sunday in their first game back.
A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he considered leaving the club when he was investigated for tax fraud in 2013, saying he felt "badly treated" by Spain.
'So to have a person by your side that you love and can comfortably and mutually and reciprocally talk about tennis in our case, I think it's a breath of fresh air.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances