The clash between Real Madrid’s new midfield hope, and Barcelona’s returning central figure, could go a long way to deciding tonight’s La Liga Clasico.

Inter crashed out of the Champions League as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Barcelona last night.

With the Chrismas clasico just a few weeks away, Barcelona and Real Madrid put on impressive weekend displays at the top of La Liga.

The mood is not positive around the Camp Nou ahead of tonight’s vital Champions League Group F game against Borussia Dortmund.

Not mixing sport and politics is difficult at the best of times, and impossible when it comes to La Liga’s Clasico, probably the most politicised game in world of football.

The Spanish top flight want the 'El Clasico' match switched to Madrid, with Barcelona then playing at home in March next year.

Antoine Griezmann responded to the challenge laid down by coach Ernesto Valverde with a brilliant display as Barcelona came from behind to thrash Real Betis 5-2.

Ahead of the 2019/20 La Liga season — which kicks off tonight — Dermot Corrigan looks at the key storylines to follow in the months ahead

Former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris St Germain full-back Dani Alves has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Sao Paulo.

Antoine Griezmann intends to stay calm and focused on making the most of a new start at Barcelona as the fall-out from his transfer from Atletico Madrid rumbles on.

Atletico Madrid are beginning legal action as they bid to put a halt to Barcelona’s swoop for the France international forward Antoine Griezmann.

He reportedly rejected a lucrative offer from PSG.

“It is a proper European final,” said Jurgen Klopp this week. “It is not a third game against Tottenham. It is a proper European final.”

And so we begin the second golden age of the Premier League. Only this time, resistance may be futile.

The one word uppermost in the minds of all Barcelona players, fans and pundits throughout this season was ‘Roma’.

Think about the greatest atmospheres and greatest occasions you have ever seen or experienced at Anfield since the day Bill Shankly walked into the famous old ground 60 years ago and vowed to turn it into a bastion of invincibility.

Liverpool are through to the Champions League final after beating Barcelona 4-0 in the semi-final second leg at Anfield to win 4-3 on aggregate.

It can’t have just been me who appreciated Lionel Messi that little bit more on Wednesday evening.

Luis Suarez led the way and Lionel Messi added the killer blows as Barcelona battled to a 3-0 victory in last night’s Champions League semi-final first leg at the Camp Nou.

It’s been interesting to see the way Barca have managed their Champions League away fixtures this season because not all their matches have proved to be end-to-end goal feasts.

Virgil Van Dijk has dismissed talk of winning the Ballon d’Or and insists he is fully focused on attempting to shackle “out of this world” Lionel Messi in the Champions League.

This has been a decent season for Lionel Andres Messi.

The ‘Week from Hell’ duly ended on Wednesday with the thoroughly expected defeat to City. So, now begins the ‘Fortnight of Purgatory’.

With Barcelona set to seal the title tonight, Dermot Corrigan wraps the LaLiga campaign

There was no miracle comeback last night for Ole Gunner Solakjaer and Manchester United, 20 years on from his greatest day in football and one round on from that famous victory against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League last 16.

Gerard Pique’s focus as his team took a valuable 1-0 advantage in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Manchester United was particularly impressive, given the many potential distractions inside the Barcelona defender’s head.

Bienvenue from French Catalonia, where your correspondent is en route to watch either the end of United’s trophy hopes or one of the greatest nights ever.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new-look Manchester United needed a calibration to measure how far they have come since Jose Mourinho

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ability to inspire Manchester United to a memorable Champions League victory over PSG underlined the Norwegian’s credentials.

Manchester United managed to stifle Lionel Messi, bloodied and bowed after a nasty first-half injury, but their nemesis Luis Suarez played the pivotal part in the only goal of this Champions League quarter-final first leg.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new-look Manchester United needed a calibration to measure how far they have come since Jose Mourinho departed then this match, despite the result, should leave them standing tall.

And in different circumstances, he believes Roy Keane could have been the man to shape that philosophy.

Manchester and Barcelona have an unusual amount in common this week.

Gareth Bale was once again feeling the heat

Amidst the 101 different things we like about Ole is his refreshingly succinct and honest style in front of the microphones.

Each Real Madrid v Barcelona Clasico is about more than just football, with both superclubs having deep roots within Spanish and Catalan society. But this week’s two Clasicos in four days have even wider resonance than usual, given the current mix of legal and political issues directly and indirectly involving both clubs.

Not sure if you have noticed, but Spanish-speaking football managers like to talk about suffering. The word pops up all the time in their post-match interviews. It might be something to do with Catholicism or just a general, Pedro Almodovar heroine-style fondness for tortured emotion, writes Tommy Martin.

As if Tottenham’s task in trying to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League is not hard enough, Mauricio Pochettino has to contend with an injury situation that means rookie right-back Kyle Walker-Peters will be thrown in against Lionel Messi and his Barcelona team-mates in the Nou Camp tonight.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is plotting Barcelona’s downfall safe in the knowledge he will never manage the Spanish giants, he has told Spanish daily Marca.

The past week or so has been so tricky for some of Europe’s elite clubs that they might be looking forward to the Champions League as a welcome diversion, writes David Shonfield

And so with one coatless bound across Turf Moor, he was free; what a disappointing Sunday for all the Mourinho haters across the world.

Not many managers can claim to have sent a referee into early retirement but Mourinho was accused of precisely that in one of his first European adventures with Chelsea.

The latest chapter in Daryl Horgan’s career as a professional footballer began with a run off the bench for Neil Lennon’s Hibernian in their 1-1 draw away to St Johnstone in Perth last weekend.

Arsenal misfit Lucas Perez is closing in on a move to West Ham, with the forward keen to remain in the Premier League.