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.

Here’s a quote from Monday’s Irish Examiner: “There’s a mental scrapbook of past experiences that may half-convince some to fantasise, but realism will strike tomorrow whether you want it to or not.”

We’re almost there, although we still don’t know where “there” is yet. It’s been whittled down to heaven or hell, with nothing in between.

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.

Roberto Firmino’s absence from Liverpool’s starting line-up forced an alteration to the Premier League side’s usual shape.

This has been a decent season for Lionel Andres Messi.

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.

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

Uruguay captain Diego Godin bristled at the suggestion that his team might resort to a physical approach to neutralise Egypt forward Mohamed Salah on his return from a shoulder injury in their World Cup opener today.

Sligo artist Dan Leydon has already claimed a Champions League three-in-a-row this season, but now the Liverpool fan hopes Real Madrid stop following in his footsteps.

It might be hard to imagine Graeme Souness, the Roy Keane of his era, taking to the pitch for even a routine assignment with anything other than his most ferocious battle face on but, as he revealed in his Sunday newspaper column at the weekend, he and his Liverpool team mates were “larking around like 12-year-olds” in the tunnel before they walked out to play Roma in the latter’s own backyard in the 1984 European Cup final.

For all true red-bloods, the ghosts of Istanbul are alive and well and all around these days, as Liverpool prepare to take on Roma with a Champions League final place at stake.

All the latest from the action in Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

It is hard to believe, given her enduring brilliance and renowned seriousness for preparation and playing, but Anne Dalton actually turned down two invitations to step up to the Kilkenny senior camogie panel.

Luis Suarez scored his first Champions League goal of the season to earn Barcelona a 4-1 victory over Roma in the first leg of their quarter-final.

Ryan Giggs defended Gareth Bale’s contribution after he suffered his first defeat as Wales manager to Uruguay in the China Cup final.

Sometimes, things just slot into place.

Mohamed Salah's record-breaking season shows no signs of slowing down as four goals in the 5-0 victory over Watford put him in pole position for the Premier League's golden boot.

“It was a massive experience, a massive achievement for me and my family. Words can't really describe how it felt walking out there.”

Four things we learned from the Premier League this weekend. 

If we’re second for a few hours, or even a few weeks, it doesn’t feel like a big deal.

Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1 

Check out all the results from the European matches today.

Three points glosses over everything. Whatever you thought about the intermittently sloppy performance, it was easily enough to beat abysmal Southampton.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde will not encourage striker Luis Suarez to play with any less aggression than usual in tonight’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg (8.30pm) against Valencia despite being one yellow card away from missing the final.

Barcelona are in pole position to reach a fifth consecutive Copa del Rey final after Luis Suarez's winner saw off Valencia 1-0 at the Nou Camp.

Philippe Coutinho made his first LaLiga start for Barcelona but it was Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi who stole the headlines once again in a 2-1 win against Alaves.

Philippe Coutinho can bring something different to Barcelona, according to head coach Ernesto Valverde.

In a fixture stepped in history, at a ground where legends watch not just from the stands but from the walls and the heavens, Liverpool’s latest hero stepped forward and put his mark on the occasion.

Diego Costa last night made a goalscoring return to Atletico Madrid with a second-half strike in their comfortable 4-0 Copa de Rey win at Lleida.

Happy new year. If that lasts past 5pm today, I’ll be amazed.

Luis Suarez and Paulinho each scored twice as LaLiga leaders Barcelona tuned up for next week's Clasico with a handsome 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.

I could get used to this. It won’t last, but still.

Bayern Munich strengthened their grip on the Bundesliga title race with a 3-0 win over Augsburg which extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

The Catalans’ decision to declare independence showed contempt for democratic norms, writes Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt.

In preparing to face the threat of Danish dangerman Christian Eriksen in the World Cup play-off, Martin O’Neill believes his players are entitled to take encouragement from how they coped in the recent past with other standout stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale and the Bosnian duo of Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic.

The first man to captain a Cork City side to a League of Ireland title believes it may take years before the scale of the club’s achievements this season are recognised.

All week the build-up to Barcelona’s visit to Atletico Madrid on Saturday night had centred on the difficult political situation in Spain, with a push towards independence in Catalonia, and the central authorities in the capital pushing back.

At least we didn’t lose sight of the leaders. Beating Leicester keeps City and United within raha ha ha ha ha ha. Ah no, not with a straight face…