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.

Chelsea 3 Valencia 0

BARCELONA secured top spot in Champions League Group H, finally shaking off AC Milan in a cracker at the San Siro last night.

JEFFERSON FARFAN struck twice as Schalke fought back from an early deficit to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Valencia last night.

RAFAEL BENITEZ’S Inter were made to work by Twente before Esteban Cambiasso broke the Dutch outfit’s resistance 10 minutes into the second half.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called up four new players for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland after seeing three of his squad go down with injury.

Valencia 0 Manchester United 1

LIONEL MESSI was denied a hat-trick but Barcelona put their shock Primera Division defeat to Hercules behind them as they opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a crushing 5-1 win over Panathinaikos.