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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Daniel Storey previews the four Champions League quarter-finals.

That’s better than Turin,” said the buddy on WhatsApp.

Like it or loathe it, this is the moment when the away goals rule comes into play in the Champions League. It could play an important role in determining which sides go through to the quarter-finals, both this week and next.

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.

Ever feel that you need to be in two places at once? As we sat high up in the Camp Nou, watching Barcelona and Tottenham play out a 1-1 draw, eyes were stuck fast on updates from the San Siro. It was like watching Tony Blair’s nervous smile in Sedgefield in May 1997 while Michael Portillo grimaced in Enfield. All you needed was to splice yourself in half. Was that really too much to ask?

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 lead up to tomorrow’s late in the season La Liga Clasico has been quite unique with minds on both sides not quite as focused as usual in the days before the world’s biggest domestic club game.

Atletico Madrid’s creaking Estadio Vicente Calderon Stadium was not a ground any opponent fancied visiting, especially on big Champions League nights when the old concrete bowl literally shook with emotion and noise.

“A failure without excuses,” shouted the cover of Catalan daily Sport on Wednesday morning, with the words “debacle”, “lamentable” and “elimination” also featuring in bold print.

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.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde is hoping the combination of Lionel Messi’s expected return and a passionate Nou Camp crowd will be enough to overpower Roma in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this evening.

Lionel Messi confirmed his status as LaLiga’s most influential player as his superb free kick saw Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 yesterday to open up an eight-point gap at the top of the table.

This was an intriguing clash on so many levels, and not just because Chelsea and Barcelona have broken each other’s hearts over the past decade or so.

When Catalonia went to the polls eight weeks ago there was a sense among Barcelona fans that this was a defining moment for their club as well as the country.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed he has suffered sleepless nights plotting the downfall of Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid 3 PSG 1

Interpretation can be a wonderful thing, it has the ability to decipher and unite in the form of

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre claims they signed Philippe Coutinho at a reduced cost despite his £142m (€161m) transfer fee being the second-most expensive in history.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists chief executive Ivan Gazidis has “nothing to do” with buying players at the club.

In Catalan, Catalonia is Catalunya. Catalan sounds a lot like Spanish to the casual passerby, with its musicality and rolling rrrrrrrrs, but when you listen, you can hear the differences, writes Suzanne Harrington. 

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona beat Las Palmas 3-0 in a game played behind closed doors after the Spanish league refused Barca’s plea to postpone the game on the day of the highly-charged Catalonia referendum.

Barcelona's Spanish league game against Las Palmas was played without fans at the Camp Nou Stadium amid the controversial referendum on Catalonia's independence.

I won’t be alone among my peers in broadcasting, and indeed in the ranks of the many sports stars that he interviewed, in saying that Jimmy Magee moved easily from his status as hero of mine to becoming first a colleague and then a friend whose warmth, kindness, and good humour was as legendary as his memory, writes Tony O’Donoghue.

Our man inside the game canvassed a few old friends for some Champions League conclusions

Most of the noise in Spanish football this summer was generated by superstars Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo — with the former leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint Germain, and the latter staying [for the moment at least] at Real Madrid.

Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema scored brilliant first-half goals as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 on the night to register a resounding 5-1 aggregate Supercopa win.

Frank de Boer’s appointment as Crystal Palace manager took the number of former Barcelona players now managing in the Premier League to five, 25% of the total workforce and a ringing endorsement for the philosophy of Total Football Johan Cruyff introduced to the Catalans after making it famous in his native Netherlands.

There were a few mobile phones on full charge over in New Jersey last weekend, but to my mind the one who is closer than them all to Lions form is Keith Earls, writes Ronan O’Gara.