A 3-0 for Tito

The Barcelona squad is eager to turn around its Champions League last 16 tie and qualify for the quarter-finals for a number of reasons. The first and most obvious one is that it's a squad that is used to winning and getting knocked out by AC Milan would be a bitter pill to swallow.

However, there are other incentives and one of those is emotive. They want to dedicate qualification to Tito Vilanova. They want to repay all their coach's efforts.

Vilanova, who is currently undergoing treatment for his illness in New York, hasn't stopped working and looking for ways for his team to win every game it plays. The players are aware of their coach's efforts and want to repay them.

There have been a number of meetings in recent weeks between the team captains and between the squad as a whole. They all agree in the message they're sending out. The dressing room wants to be believed in because it feels it can turn the tie on its head and pull off an epic comeback.

Xavi already explained as much. Having won every title possible since Guardiola and Vilanova's arrival, the squad now has to show that it knows how to suffer and win an epic victory. It's time for each player to prove his commitment and make it clear that it is still far too early to talk about the end of an era.

'Los Blancos' must use heads to win

Real Madrid heads into the crucial return leg against Manchester United with all guns blazing. One strong area is the team's aerial threat and from the 15 goals the Spanish outfit has scored in the last eight games, five have been headers from dead-ball situations.

Real's newly acquired danger has been the team's Achilles' heel for the majority of the season until recently, but the tactic has helped the side achieve some decisive victories. Two headed goals by Raphael Varane killed off Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and another by Sergio Ramos handed Real victory in the 'El Clásico' in La Liga.

Madrid's equalising goal in the Champions League first leg against United was also a header- courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo. Then there was another goal of the same style against Rayo Vallecano by Ramos at the Santiago Bernabéu.

It seems 'Los Blancos' have stumbled across the perfect strategy to help the team through a recent spell of matches. This may well prove to be useful for the crunch tie at Old Trafford, when the team will need to draw on all its resources in order to turn the tie on its head.

However, Real still needs to improve its defending of set-pieces, as the team has conceded 14 goals from dead-ball situations so far this campaign, including the one scored by Danny Welbeck at the Bernabéu.

A 'Clásico' for the world

Having been rescheduled for the unusual time of 4 p.m. on Saturday, the second league meeting of the season between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be the first 'Clásico' to be suitable for TV audiences almost all over the world. Fine, there will be no Champions League anthem, no Spanish Super Cup trophy or cup final place up for grabs, and the result won't affect the league title race, but it is still a 'Clásico'.

There are plenty of reasons to head down to the Bernabéu or switch on the TV on Saturday afternoon. On the evidence of the midweek cup clash, the 16-point league gap between the teams is something of a red herring. What's more, Barça is licking its wounds after being swatted aside on its own patch and will be raring to return the favour.

This will be only the third full house at the Santiago Bernabéu this season, coming after the first leg of the 'Copa' semi-final and the Champions League first leg against Manchester United. The Real Madrid fans are flying after the win at the Camp Nou, meaning any spare tickets have been snapped up like hotcakes.

The early-afternoon slot will allow the match to be viewed across the world, including at prime time in Asia. Fans in Beijing will be able to tune in at 11 p.m., rather than at 4 a.m., as they would have had to do for Tuesday's cup clash.

It will also be eminently watchable across the Atlantic, kicking off at midday Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo time and at 10 a.m. in New York (where Tito Vilanova will be watching). In the UAE, another important market, the clash will get underway at 6 p.m.

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Messi vs Cristiano: Face to face

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Spanish giants, meet at the Camp Nou in the Copa Del Rey semi-final second leg tonight, with the match all square at 1-1 after the first leg.

The world's two best players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, will face each other again. This season the Argentinian has scored 49 goals in 38 matches for Barcelona. Ronaldo has also been in fine form, with 37 goals in 38 matches for Real. The previous four El Clasico's this season have all been close matches with not much between the two sides. Whoever fails to progress tonight will have a swift opportunity for revenge. The sides meet again on Saturday (4.00 p.m.) in the league.

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Puyol: "Milan is my second team, I always hope they win, except tomorrow"

Carles Puyol dismissed the idea of favourites on the eve of the Milan clash: "It's dangerous to be the favourites because we're playing against a great team. In the dressing room we know that it's a tough knockout round. If we don't play well, we'll struggle".

"Milan has really good players, who are in good form. It's a new project because some important players have left, but they are growing", he said. "El Shaarawy is on great form. Pazzini, Bojan…are all very good players - that's why they're with Milan".

Puyol admitted he admires the 'Rossonero' team. "I love Milan, it's my second team. I always want them to win, except against us", he said. "If I'd have left Barça, I would've liked to have gone to Milan, but I'm old now and I want to play at my club until I retire".

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Cazorla: "Bayern and Barça favourites for title"

Santi Cazorla, one of Arsenal's stars, is ready to take the first real test of the season with his team - against none other than Bayern Munich. "Bayern is a very, very difficult rival. Anyway, we'll just enjoy the game and do our best against a team which has some great players," the Spanish midfielder said on the official UEFA website.

Cazorla is very aware of the form Bayern are in. But he also remembers what happened to them in the Champions League final last May when they lost to Chelsea at home, against all odds: "That final was a further reminder that being the better team doesn't always mean that you'll win. It was a pretty spectacular performance by Bayern but Chelsea, using their own strengths, took the trophy. It was all about details. Didier Drogba scored in the last seconds, then Arjen Robben missed a penalty. Had he scored I'm almost sure Bayern would have won." he said.

"Bayern won many fans after a remarkable campaign during which they knocked out Real Madrid. Along with Barcelona, Bayern must be one of the favourites to win this season." Cazorla added. 

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Ronaldo has Rayo on the run

Cristiano Ronaldo is the bane of Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid has come away victorious in his three previous clashes with the team from the Vallecas neighbourhood. The Portuguese forward has scored a total of five goals (three from the penalty spot) in the process and his team has taken home all nine points in play.

Still fresh in the memory is the goal he scored from a back-heel on his first visit to Vallecas. Cristiano Ronaldo got on the end of a rebound from a corner and, without even looking at the goal, expertly guided the ball into the net with the back of his foot.

The one time he played against Rayo at the Bernabéu he scored a hat-trick, which enabled his team come from behind to snatch victory. This season he has already made his mark at Vallecas, scoring a penalty that once again helped Real win.

Cristiano has bagged 10 goals in the five league matches he has played so far in 2013, as well as scoring in the last five home matches at the Bernabéu. If he manages to get off the mark again this Sunday he will join the likes of Fernando Hierro and Fernando Morientes as the highest Real scorers against Rayo. More than one and he alone will hold that honour.

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There's no stopping Messi

Leo Messi's goal in the 73rd minute, converted from a free-kick, gave Barça three golden points against a tough Granada that led with an early goal from Ighalo (26'). Messi made it 1-1 in the 50th minute, before going on to notch the winner. These two goals take the prolific Argentine's tally to 300 with Barça.

This Saturday the 'Blaugranas' ended their two-game run without an away win. With Xavi injured and Iniesta rested –it was the coach's decision to leave the latter on the bench, though he did play the last twenty minutes– Barça struggled to break down the opposition defence in the first half, despite creating plenty of opportunities. But the Catalan club managed to turn the match around in the second period, despite hardly seeing the rival goalposts.

Ighalo gave Granada the lead. In the second half, Messi was on hand to make it 1-1 when Toño parried Fàbregas' strike, before sealing all three points for Barça with a free-kick with 17 minutes to go.

With this win Barça increases its lead at the top of the table. Granada, meanwhile, is still six points above the relegation zone, despite its defeat.

Valdés proved the hero of the day for Barça in the action-packed final minutes of the game, stopping headers by El Arabi and Iñigo López and parrying a shot from Brahimi into the side netting with the Frenchman clean through on goal.

Xavi and Villa will be in Milan

Xavi Hernández and David Villa didn't make the trip to Granada this Saturday, but barring any last-minute setbacks, they should be fit enough to play in next Wednesday's Champions League match in Milan.

 They, along with Eric Abidal, whose recovery continues, and Dos Santos, who has just recovered from an injury, are the only unfit Barça players during this weekend's league programme.

 On Friday David Villa got the all-clear from the hospital after getting over an attack of renal colic which has left him out of action for the entire week. He went into hospital in Barcelona on Monday and was discharged on Wednesday, but on Thursday he had to go back to hospital as the discomfort had not stopped. But yesterday's OK is definitive, and Villa, after leaving the hospital, was in the gym at the Ciudad Deportiva in Sant Joan Despí. As long as there are no setbacks, Villa has time to recover completely and will travel to Milan on Tuesday with the rest of the team. Another player who could reappear in the Champions League game is Xavi, who on Friday trained with the rest of the team for the first time since his injury and was perfectly fine for almost all the session. As with Villa, the important thing for him is that there is still time, and Roura has hinted that if Xavi is fit enough, he might well make his comeback at San Siro: "this short period out of action is not going to affect him. He is a player with a lot of experience, and has an instinctive and automatic knowledge of the team's moves".

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FK Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Liverpool FC

FK Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Liverpool FC

Lionel Messi has Granada, Sevilla and Celta in his sights

Once again, Leo Messi is enjoying an outstanding season of goals galore! Just in the league, he has chalked up 35 goals in a mere 23 appearances and with the season little over halfway through, he has scored against every team but three: Granada, Sevilla and Celta. On Saturday, Barça will travel down to the Estadio Los Cármenes to take on Granada having already beaten the Andalus outfit 2-0 in the Camp Nou, thanks to goals from Xavi and Borja (o.g.).

 A record breaking opponent Despite not scoring against Granada earlier in the season, the fact remains that the Andaluses have played a significant part in the Argentine’s progress. On 20th March 2012, Messi scored a hat trick against them to break the long-standing record (more than 50 years) of César Rodríguez of 232 Barça goals. It will be the second visit to the Estadio Los Cármenes for the four times winner of the Golden Ball. The last was on 25th October 2011 and Barça won 0-1 thanks to a goal from Xavi.

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