Barcelona captain Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up two more as the Catalans thrashed Real Valladolid 5-1 to move top of La Liga on Tuesday.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola will sign a contract extension on Wednesday, the La Liga champions said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.com).
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger used to dream about Luis Suarez, the signing that got away, and he will be hoping the Uruguayan striker doesn't give him nightmares when holders Barcelona visit in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and leading scorer Lionel Messi described their 2011 La Liga crown as the toughest of titles after securing top spot with a 1-1 draw at Levante on Wednesday.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo repeated allegations that referees favour Barcelona after his side were eliminated from the Champions League by their bitter rivals in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Barcelona's slick football at a rain-swept Nou Camp had Real Madrid chasing shadows for long periods again as the Catalans reached the Champions League final after a 1-1 draw sent the 2009 winners through 3-1 on aggregate.
Barcelona plan to attack Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg despite holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday.
In other ties, Serie A champions Juventus face Europa League winners Atletico Madrid and Barcelona take on Olympique Lyonnais.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola described Lionel Messi's achievements as 'outrageous' after the World Player of the Year produced another masterclass in Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League win at Real Madrid.
World number one Rafael Nadal crushed Gael Monfils of France 6-2, 6-2 to ease into the Barcelona Open semi-finals on Friday.
Barcelona have been very active in the transfer market in recent years, completing three of the top six most expensive transfers ever.
Barcelona's Argentina international Javier Mascherano has been ordered to appear in court on October 29 to answer charges of two counts of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of a total of more than 1.5 million euros ($1.67 million).
World number four Andy Murray pulled out of the Barcelona Open on Tuesday due to an elbow injury.
Lionel Messi scored one penalty and missed another as Barcelona beat Real Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday to open up a seven-point lead at the top of La Liga.
'There is no price limit to let him go or a price that we are ready to give in'
How to clone Lionel Messi? Set up a Barcelona soccer school in Argentina.This was the thinking behind the Catalan club when they decided to look for more Argentine talent to nurture in their rich, world famous youth scheme.
Barcelona are in talks to strengthen their championship-winning squad with Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Valencia striker David Villa, according to club vice president Rafael Yuste. Talks with Valencia on Villa's transfer "are on the right track," Yuste said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM quoted by Spanish news agency EFE.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg matches played on Tuesday
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been diagnosed with a spinal disc hernia after he was admitted to hospital overnight suffering from acute lower back pain, the La Liga club said on Thursday.
When Griezmann fired Atletico to victory over Olympique de Marseille in the Europa League final in May it was widely viewed as his last stand for Diego Simeone's side before a move to Barca but they successfully convinced the Frenchman to stay.
After an even first 45 minutes, strikes from Pablo Sarabia and Wissam Ben Yedder stunned the Catalans and left them needing a second-leg comeback at the Nou Camp for the second consecutive round in the competition.
It was Messi's 56th converted penalty in La Liga and saw him draw level with Hugo Sanchez as the league's second-top penalty taker, behind record holder Cristiano Ronaldo on 61.
Lionel Messi was lauded by opposition supporters on Sunday after he scored an outstanding hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Betis, which put the Catalans 10 points clear at the top of La Liga with 10 games remaining.
Barcelona are in negotiations to buy Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Valencia striker David Villa, acording to club vice president Rafael Yuste.
A second half double from Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory at Girona on Sunday and maintain their perfect La Liga start in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era.
Paco Alcacer enjoyed a rare outing for Barcelona by scoring twice in the club's 2-1 La Liga win over Sevilla at the Nou Camp on Saturday.
Barcelona have agreed a record shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation worth 30 million euros ($40 million) a season through to the end of the 2015-16 campaign, the La Liga champions said on Friday.
Defending champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Veselin Topalov played out a draw on the 58th move in the seventh game of the World Chess Championship in Sofia on Monday.
Playing his second white in the event, Anand tried the Rossolimo variation to counter Carlsen's Sicilian defense, an opening that the Norwegian chose second time against Anand in the current year.
News that transpired on and off the football field.
Securing a deal with Arsenal for the transfer of Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas will not be easy, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday.
Neymar is close to signing a three-year contract extension with Barcelona that will tie the Brazil captain to the La Liga champions until June 2021, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced on Thursday. The 24-year-old forward is a reported target of top European clubs and his current deal expires in June 2018. El Mundo Deportivo reported on Thursday that Manchester United were launching a "total offensive" to acquire Neymar.
Real coach Julen Lopetegui has come in for fierce criticism this season, having presided over a run of five games without a win -- the team going eight hours and one minute without scoring -- before Tuesday's unconvincing 2-1 triumph over Viktoria Plzen that saw the team whistled off the pitch by their own fans.
The 2010 French Open poster is the creation of a Pakistani-born Indian artist Nalini Malani. Her design, portrays a woman tennis player, stretching across two globes while playing a shot.
Barcelona's star striker Messi is an alien who plays with us humans, says the Juventus 'keeper
Australian Mark Webber won the Spanish Grand Prix for rampant Red Bull on Sunday after leading from start to finish at Formula One's most predictable circuit.
Australian Mark Webber won the Spanish Grand Prix for rampant Red Bull on Sunday after leading from start to finish at Formula One's most predictable circuit.
Real will ease the pain by retaining their Champions League title, their only hope of salvaging a disappointing season.
Victor Valdes is having another outstanding season for Barcelona and his continued absence from Spain's squad underlines the embarrassment of goalkeeping riches for the European champions. Valdes, who was called up once in August 2005 but did not play, has no chance of ousting Real Madrid's Iker Casillas as Spain's number one and if he makes Vicente del Bosque's World Cup squad will be third choice behind Liverpool's Pepe Reina.
Real Madrid became La Liga champions for the first time since 2012 on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Malaga, denying arch-rivals Barcelona three consecutive league titles.
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