The Catalans will not just be looking to extend their domestic hegemony, though, as they have spent a combined 250 million euros ($280 million) on a renewed bid to win the Champions League.
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino will make his Champions League debut when Ajax Amsterdam visit the Nou Camp on Wednesday with a run of patchy defensive performances and a lack of killer instinct in front of goal his main concerns.
Manchester City's expensive squad are not ready to win the Champions League, manager Roberto Mancini said ahead of his side's must-win encounter with Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday.
A round-up of Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
The world celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday but Ajax players did it in style.
Manchester United signed Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax Amsterdam on a five-year contract, the English Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who have won the award 10 times between them, are included
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho described some of the Champions League groups as a "joke" after watching his side lose 2-1 at fellow heavyweights Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Former European Cup winners Celtic and Ajax Amsterdam safely negotiated tricky Champions League third-round qualifying ties on Wednesday to move one step away from the lucrative group stage.
French champions Paris St Germain have appointed former Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert as the club's director of football, the Ligue 1 side said. The former Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona striker had a coaching stint as the manager of Curacao and was an assistant coach for Netherlands under manager Louis van Gaal.
Manchester United scraped into the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday, narrowly avoiding a humiliating elimination after being outplayed and losing 2-1 at home to Ajax Amsterdam.
Holders Porto will face Premier League leaders Manchester City while former European champions Ajax Amsterdam will meet Manchester United in two glittering Europa League Round-of-32 ties following Friday's draw.
After a week of controversy caused mainly by FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments about racism, UEFA will hope that action on the pitch dominates this week's Champions League headlines as the group stage reaches crunch time.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-1 Champions League win at Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday but big spending trio Zenit St Petersburg, Paris St Germain and Manchester City failed to win.
World soccer governing body FIFA had said in April that it would be flexible with transfer windows and allow them to be moved "so they fall between the end of the old season and the start of the new season."
European champions Real Madrid will face former champions Liverpool, FC Basel and debutants Ludogorets of Bulgaria following the draw for the group stage of the Champions league on Thursday.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez believes hiring Jose Mourinho as coach and spending hundreds of millions of euros on players has finally laid the foundation for winning a 10th European title.
Newcastle United completed the signing of Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Vurnon Anita on Thursday with the Dutch international hopeful his new club can end their 43-year trophyless spell.
UEFA has not detected any irregular betting patterns in Wednesday's Champions League matches to justify an enquiry, the European governing body said on Thursday.
Benfica snatched a 2-2 draw at sloppy Manchester United to reach the Champions League last 16 and leave the three-times winners with work to do, while Inter Milan ambled through before even playing and Bayern Munich also progressed with ease on Tuesday.
Liverpool's Champions League winning trio of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane joined regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the shortlist for The Best FIFA Men's player award
Ajax Amsterdam have suspended their captain Luis Suarez for two matches after he bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during their 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Barcelona and Manchester United clash in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday (1845 GMT) to decide who are the undisputed kings of Europe.
IMAGES from Europa League matches played on Thursday.
Gonzalo Higuain netted a neat volley to save dominant Real Madrid's blushes, helping the La Liga giants to a 2-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in Champions League Group G on Wednesday.
Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam, who have won the European Cup nine times between them, failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League after making embarrassing exits from the competition on Thursday.
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez completed his move to five-times European champions Liverpool from Ajax Amsterdam on Monday, the Premier League club said.
Liverpool have turned down a transfer request from Fernando Torres hours after Kenny Dalglish made his first major transfer impact in his second spell as manager by agreeing to sign Uruguay forward Luis Suarez.
Liverpool will play the winner of Wednesday's other semi-final between Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur with the Dutch side leading 1-0 from the first-leg in London.
UEFA has reduced on appeal a fine and two-match ban given to coach Jose Mourinho after allegations that two of his Real Madrid players engineered deliberate red cards in last month's Champions League game with Ajax Amsterdam.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been given a two-match ban for improper conduct by UEFA after allegations that two of his players deliberately got sent off in a Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam.
Real Madrid will seek inspiration from their former midfielder and France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane for Tuesday's Champions League match at Ajax Amsterdam, according to Xabi Alonso.
English Premier League soccer club Fulham named Martin Jol as their new manager on Tuesday, signing the Dutchman to an initial two-year deal with an option for another year.
"Some decisions were not on our side," he said. "I think we were several times punished."
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt headed a late goal to send the five-times European champions into the last 16 of the Europa League with a 1-0 victory over a defiant Sparta Prague at Anfield on Thursday.
Luis Suarez took just 16 minutes to make his impact on Anfield as the 22.8 million pounds striker came off the bench to score Liverpool's second goal in a 2-0 Premier League win over Stoke City on Wednesday.
PSV Eindhoven are still looking for their first win of the season after sharing the points with Twente Enschede in a 1-1 draw in the Dutch league on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho's quest for a unique Champions League hat-trick began in style with Real Madrid on Wednesday, the nine-time winners beating Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 on a night of commanding wins for the main contenders.
New US Open tennis champion Rafa Nadal was given a standing ovation by Real Madrid fans when he strolled out on to the Bernabeu pitch before their Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday.
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