On Wednesday, Lionel Messi quieted the critics who were complaining that he was undergoing a "crisis" with a beautiful flick from his left foot that gave Barcelona a 3-0 aggregate lead against Manchester City.
The Premier League has entered the stretch run and in a matter of weeks fans will know which side will emerge as the champion. This weekend is as crucial as any in the grand scheme, but it features a number of major rivalries that simply cannot be ignored. Here are the Premier League matches to watch this weekend.
Just when you think that he is out of records to break, Lionel Messi finds a new way to make history. On Sunday Barcelona's main man broke an 87-year-old scoring record by netting a hat trick against Osasuna.
On Sunday, Barcelona exploded with a 7-0 win over Osasuna that re-established the Catalan side as an offensive juggernaut. The team has languished offensively in the past few weeks thanks to a seemingly weak system that has become overly repetitive. However, Sunday's side looked like the well-oiled machine that many called the best team in the world a few years ago.
The Premier League took an interesting twist this weekend. On Saturday, first place Chelsea was ousted by Aston Villa by the score of 1-0. Manchester City did its part by earning a win over Hull City on the road to pull within six points of first place with three games in hand.
Italy is one of the most historic soccer countries in the world thanks to its four World Cup titles. The team is second only to Brazil in this category and could tie up the Selecao on their turf this summer. But is Italy capable of pulling of the feat and becoming the first European nation to win the trophy in South American soil?
South American nations are usually favored to put up strong performances on their home continent. Brazil, Argentina and Chile are sure to live up to expectations on some level, but some question whether the same can be said about Ecuador. The nation had a solid World Cup qualifying campaign and has a rather fair group to contend with. However, is the nation capable of a deep run in this tournament?
It might come off as hyperbole, but David Moyes' career could be on the line when Manchester United hosts Olympiacos in the decisive second leg of the Champions League round of 16.
The biggest soccer event will take place this weekend when Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in arguably the most crucial game of the year for both sides. Barcelona is four points behind Madrid and would be seven behind if it lost; a draw would keep the team four points behind the lead and not help the side's hopes of retaining its crown. For Real Madrid, a win would not only take down its biggest rivals, but get rid of its most difficult game remaining on the Spanish League schedule.
And then there were eight. The final eight teams in the Champions League have been revealed and it has become increasingly clear that this tournament will be one of the most hotly contested in years. Which team is the favorite to win the tournament?
The Champions League quarterfinals draw will take place on Friday. The remaining teams are arguably all contenders so it should be interesting to see which sides will face stiff competition along the way. Here are the four matchups that we want to see in the Champions League quarterfinals.
A miracle took place on Wednesday. At least a miracle considering Manchester United's horrific season. David Moyes' club managed to turn around its woeful 2-0 deficit in the Champions League against Olympiacos at the Old Trafford thanks to a heroic effort from Robin Van Persie. The team is headed to the quarterfinals of the tournament (where most believe it will meet its fate); Moyes' job is seemingly safe for a day. However, what does fate have in store for the team in the quarterfinals?
The Champions League quarterfinals were drawn up on Friday. Every single remaining team has won a European tournament before, ensuring that all of the matchups would be filled with tremendous tension. Here are the winners and losers of the draw.
It was the tale of two halves. The first was a tremendously quick game filled with attacking flair and confidence from both Real Madrid and Barcelona. The second half was a joked dominated by three penalties and some questionable refereeing decisions. The result was a 4-3 Barcelona win, their second Clasico victory of the year.
It was a truly classic Clasico after 45 minutes. With end to end action and tremendous pace, it seemed like one for the ages. But the second half fell way below the expectations set by the first half. The game turned ugly and dull to the point of boredom? Why? Because of one man - Alberto Undiano.
Barcelona managed a huge 4-3 win over Real Madrid that featured a superstar turn from Lionel Messi. Gerardo Martino's decision to go with four midfielders and only two forwards early on in the game proved to be a solid decision. However, one piece in the puzzle fizzled.
