IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Liverpool's Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick as they maintained their perfect Champions League campaign with a barnstorming second-half display in a 4-0 victory over Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield on Tuesday.
Aston Villa will try to become the first side to score against Chelsea this season when they visit the champions on Saturday.
The Turkey defender said his Aston Villa contract would not have been cancelled if his recent spat with England captain David Beckham had been with any other player.\n\n\n\n
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday
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Liverpool moved into the Champions League qualifying spots after a 3-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday took them above Leicester City and into fourth place with one round of Premier League matches remaining.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Real Madrid ran riot to sink Espanyol 4-0 at the Bernabeu in the Spanish Primera Liga.
For the eight Spain internationals in Barcelona's probable starting 11 for Saturday's Champions League final, victory over Manchester United at Wembley would put a gilt edge on an already spectacularly successful year.
Chelsea, playing with a swagger missing for much of the season, routed Aston Villa 8-0 on Sunday.
Inspiration for the World Cup semi-finalists has come from the unfashionable, the forgotten, the overshadowed and the discarded -- a ragtag quartet putting the pre-tournament poster boys in their place.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Lionel Messi's Barcelona gave an emphatic response to the doubters when they made Champions League history by overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to oust seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi helped Barcelona shake off the hangover from their midweek defeat by AC Milan as the leaders rallied to a 2-1 win at home to fellow King's Cup semi-finalists Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday.
Striker Roberto Soldado was left out of Spain's squad for Euro 2012 on Sunday, despite scoring a hat-trick in a friendly in March.
Alex Ferguson may have been stripped of his Manchester United ambassadorial role last week but his legacy as manager remains a stifling cloud for those following in his footsteps, with Erik ten Hag the latest to be jettisoned after failing to measure up.
Barcelona fullback Dani Alves has been ruled out with a hamstring strain for 15 to 20 days, the La Liga leaders said on Monday.
Barcelona equalled the La Liga record for the most points after 10 games and moved three clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table thanks to a 3-1 win at home to Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Lionel Messi took his senior career goals tally to 301 as he scored twice in Barcelona's 5-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano which put them three points clear at the top of La Liga.
European champions Barcelona overpowered Qatar's Al Sadd 4-0 on Thursday to reach the Club World Cup final, Brazilian defender Adriano scoring twice in an embarrassingly one-sided contest.
Thiago Silva powered home a header in the second minute of stoppage time to steal a 2-2 draw for AC Milan at holders Barcelona in the heavyweight pair's Champions League Group H opener on Tuesday.
Spain have not prepared a specific plan to counter in-form Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder in Sunday's World Cup final, coach Vicente del Bosque said on Saturday.
Netherlands' playmaker Wesley Sneijder has been credited with his team's opening goal in their 2-1 quarter-final victory over Brazil by FIFA's Technical Study Group.
Spain must ignore external criticism and show faith in the playing style that has served them so well for Friday's showdown against Group H leaders Chile, according to midfielder Andres Iniesta.
Lionel Messi conjured a magical headed goal to set a depleted Barcelona on their way to a 3-0 win at Real Mallorca in La Liga on Saturday that stretched their lead over Real Madrid at the top to eight points.
A depleted Barcelona reached the King's Cup semi-finals with a 6-3 aggregate win over Real Betis despite losing Wednesday's second leg to the second division leaders.
Lionel Messi notched up his 35th league goal of the season as an understrength Barcelona strolled to a crushing 6-1 home win against Getafe that put them 12 points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
A hat-trick by Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to an 8-0 rout of Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday as the champions responded with a devastating performance after a poor week by their high standards.
World champions Spain and Italy completed the formalities of qualification for Euro 2012 on Tuesday, Netherlands are as good as through and England are in a commanding position to secure a place in next year's finals.
Barcelona will ignore attempts by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho to play mind games, according to Lionel Messi.
World Cup winners Spain have seven players featured in a 23-man shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or unveiled by soccer's governing body and France Football magazine on Tuesday.
European and La Liga champions Barcelona held arch-rivals Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
Russian side Rubin Kazan continued to frustrate Barcelona by holding the Spanish side to a 1-1 draw in Champions League Group D on Wednesday.
World champions Italy and Euro 2008 winners Spain took determined steps towards World Cup qualification with victories on Saturday but France and Portugal are struggling after being held to disappointing draws. Nobody was in a position to join already-qualified Netherlands in securing a place at the finals in South Africa next year but Spain can make a provisional booking after seven wins out of seven following a 5-0 home thrashing of Belgium.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
David Villa and Wesley Sneijder, with five goals each, head the list of the goal scorers at the 2010 World Cup.
So Germany and Spain made it to the World Cup semi-finals at the cost of a powerful Argentina and a fighting Paraguay respectively.
