David Moyes’ Real Sociedad held on to record a narrow 1-0 victory over Barca as they returned to winning ways at a damp Anoeta.

While Real Madrid’s ‘BBC’ strikeforce of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were all on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 5-1 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano, the man of the match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu was Blancos midfielder Toni Kroos.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has stayed tight-lipped on the subject of his eight-match ban, apart from saying he has “great respect” for the decision-makers in the Spanish game.

At his post-game press conference on Saturday night it seemed Gerardo Martino’s biggest problem ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League last 16 first leg at Manchester City is who to start.

It was foggy last Sunday lunchtime in suburban Madrid, but reporters at Getafe v Rayo Vallecano could still make out the well wrapped-up figure of Phil Neville sitting in the plusher seats directly in front of the press box.

Spain

BARCELONA defender Gerard Pique has hailed team-mate Lionel Messi as the finest player in the world as the Argentinian waits to discover if he has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for 2011 today.

JOSÉ MOURINHO once claimed that five points was just the right lead to have in a title race: enough to insure against an accident or an upset, but not so much that it breeds complacency.

FIFA are to investigate whether there was anything wrong in the decision not to dock West Ham points over the Carlos Tevez affair.

FIFA are to investigate whether there was anything wrong in the decision not to dock West Ham points over the Carlos Tevez affair.