Juan Antonio Samaranch was given a send-off resembling a state funeral in his native Barcelona on Thursday, a day after the former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president died at the age of 89.

Images from the 'El Classico'match between Real Madrid and Barcelona FC played at the Bernabeu stadium on Saturday.

Lionel Messi's exquisite finish set Barcelona on their way to a potentially decisive 2-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday to lift the champions three points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga.

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.

Lionel Messi's brilliance sent holders Barcelona through to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 dismantling of VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday.

Victory continued to elude World Champion Viswanathan Anand as he settled for his eighth successive draw, signing peace with Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine in the eighth round in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands on Monday.

Five-times winners Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages despite a 1-0 win at Debrecen on Tuesday while Fiorentina and Arsenal qualified for the last 16.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have lit up Spanish Primera Liga with a slew of goals this season and the title race is already shaping up as a duel between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Portuguese winger, who cost Real a world record 94 million euros ($138 million) in the close season, and the zippy Argentina forward, who joined Barca's youth program at the age of 13, both have five goals already this term.

Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva, playing two days after his diving ban was lifted on appeal, celebrated his reprieve by scoring a late winner in a dramatic 3-2 Champions League win at Standard Liege on Wednesday. The Brazilian-born Croatia striker netted from close range with nine minutes to go, three minutes after Thomas Vermaelen had levelled for the Londoners.

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his debut for Barcelona in the second half of their 1-0 defeat by Manchester City in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Wednesday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be the happiest man alive once he has completed his move to Barcelona from Inter Milan, the Swedish striker said on Sunday.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on Monday his decision to let striker Samuel Eto'o go was motivated by a feeling that is was time for a change and was not made for sporting or personal reasons.

Barcelona and Inter Milan reached an agreement in principle to swap Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Barca forward Samuel Eto'o plus cash, the Primera Liga and European champions said on Friday.

Honda's Dani Pedrosa won the U.S. MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday, the Spaniard's first victory in over a year, by holding off a late challenge from world champion and current leader Valentino Rossi.

Sameer Desai reviews the game that stars Hollywood action hero Vin Diesel.

Tell us what you felt about the final. Who was your player of the final? Lionel Messi or Andres Iniesta? Or Carlos Puyol? Share your impressions.

Barcelona win Champions League beating Manchester United 2-0 at Rome.

It would be a big surprise if Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola strays from the club's traditional, offensive 4-3-3. Manchester United are less tied to a set formation. Manager Alex Ferguson has frequently used the 4-3-3 to good effect, but if he decides to field Ji-sung on the right he may opt for a 4-4-2.

For all the talk of their devastating attacking capabilities, Barcelona and Manchester United must sort out defensive worries for Wednesday's Champions League final.

Sevilla secured third place in the Primera Liga and automatic qualification for the Champions League when a last-minute header from Diego Perotti earned them a 1-0 home win over Deportivo Coruna on Saturday.

Barcelona deserve to win the Champions League because of the stylish football they play, forward Lionel Messi said Thursday.

Barcelona were gifted their 19th Primera Liga title without kicking a ball on Saturday when second-placed Real Madrid were beaten 3-2 at Villarreal. Robert Pires, Cani and Joan Capdevila scored for the hosts, delivering Barca's second piece of silverware in a week after the Catalans overcame Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the King's Cup final on Wednesday. Barca can make it a treble by defeating Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome on May 27.

Three goals in a devastating nine-minute spell at the start of the second half saw Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup final on Wednesday and the first of three possible titles.

Barcelona stand between Chelsea and a second successive appearance in an all-English Champions League final. Manchester United, who beat Chelsea on penalties in last year's final in Moscow, take a 1-0 advantage to Arsenal on Tuesday in the other semi-final.

The title race in Europe's top leagues remained tense at the weekend with Inter Milan losing at Napoli and Liverpool keeping the pressure on Manchester United. VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich both lost in Germany and Barcelona were held at Valencia but Olympique Marseille went five points clear.

World number one Rafael Nadal won his fifth consecutive Barcelona Open title on Sunday with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Spanish compatriot David Ferrer.

World number one Rafael Nadal beat Russian third seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open on Saturday to stay on course for a fifth successive title at the Catalan event. In a repeat of last year's final, the Spanish top seed will play compatriot David Ferrer on Sunday after the fourth seed came back from a set down to defeat fifth-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 2-6, 6-2, 7-6.

World number one Rafael Nadal was handed a place in the last four of the Barcelona Open on Thursday after David Nalbandian was forced to withdraw from their quarter-final clash with a hip injury. The Spaniard earlier thrashed unseeded Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-2 6-0 and was due to play seventh-seeded Nalbandian in the last eight on Friday as he bids for a fifth straight title.

World number one Rafael Nadal began his campaign for a fifth successive Barcelona Open title with a comfortable 6-2 6-2 victory over Portuguese qualifier Frederico Gil on Wednesday.

The Primera Liga title will be decided by "El Clasico" between leaders Barcelona and second-placed Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in just under two weeks, according to Real midfielder Lassana Diarra.

Inter Milan went 10 points clear in Serie A, while French champions Olympique Lyon were knocked off the top of the Ligue 1 table by Olympique Marseille.

Defender Branislav Ivanovic headed two goals from corners and Didier Droga added the third to give Chelsea a 3-1 away win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

Holders Manchester United soothed a painful old wound for Alex Ferguson by knocking Inter Milan out of the Champions League on Wednesday, as Barcelona mauled Olympique Lyon 5-2 in a thrilling return to form. Arsenal made it four English teams in the quarter-finals for the second successive year, their youngsters showing great composure to see them home 7-6 on penalties away to AS Roma.

World Champion Viswanathan Anand played out a draw with Levon Aronian of Armenia and slipped to fifth spot in the ninth round of Magistral Ciudad De Linares Chess tournament in Linares, Spain.

Sergio Aguero scored a dramatic late winner as Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to stun visiting Barcelona 4-3 on Sunday, leaving the Catalans just four points clear at the top in Spain.

World champion Viswanathan Anand opened his campaign with a thumping win over Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan to take the sole lead after the first round of the 22nd Magistral Ciudad de Linares Chess tournament in Linares.

Real Madrid battled back from a goal down to beat bottom-of-the-table Osasuna 3-1 on Sunday and reclaim second spot in the Primera Liga from Sevilla, 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.

After a decade of trying, Sunday could be the day Villarreal finally claim three Primera Liga points from Real Madrid at the Spanish champions' Santiago Bernabeu home, according to midfielder Robert Pires.

Late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi gave Spanish Primera Liga leaders Barcelona a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on Saturday, condemning Juande Ramos to defeat on his league debut as coach of the champions. Barcelona top the table with 38 points from 15 matches, eight ahead of Valencia who beat Espanyol 2-1 earlier on Saturday. Villarreal, who play at fourth-placed Sevilla on Sunday, are third on 29 points with Real fifth on 26.

The shock appointment of Juande Ramos to replace Bernd Schuster as Real Madrid coach on Tuesday gives this year's first Primera Liga "Clasico" between the champions and leaders Barcelona an intriguing twist.