Barcelona into World Club football Cup final

Barcelona's Champion League hopes are all but over after a shocking 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the semifinals. Bayern came into the game as a slight favorite, but nobody expected a bludgeoning like this.

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Barcelona will not have it all their own way when they meet his Manchester United side in next month's Champions League final at Wembley.While both teams are on the brink of winning their respective domestic titles it is Barcelona, who defeated United in the 2009 final, that are widely regarded as the pre-eminent club currently playing in Europe.The Catalans boast the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, two key players in Spain's World Cup-winning side last year, while Lionel Messi is already being hailed as one of football's all-time greats.

Barcelona eased into the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday, Lionel Messi scoring the only goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in their quarter-final second leg match to complete a 6-1 aggregate success with a Spanish record 48th goal of the season.Barca, champions in 1992, 2006 and 2009, will now meet either bitter rivals Real Madrid or Tottenham in the last four after Messi made the difference just two minutes before the break.

Real Madrid's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo repeated coach Jose Mourinho's claims that bitter rivals Barcelona were favoured by referees here on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw in their Champions League semi-final second leg match saw Barca progress 3-1 on aggregate.The former Manchester United player - who was outshone by Barcelona's two-time world player of the year Lionel Messi over the two legs - was especially incensed by the decision of Belgian referee Frank De Bleeckere to rule out a Gonzalo Higuain goal early in the second-half.

A Lionel Messi brace helped Barcelona to a 3-1 victory over 10-man Arsenal on Tuesday to put them into the quarter-finals of Champions League on a 4-3 aggregate. The Argentine World Player of the Year was the difference as Barcelona produced another outstanding display of attacking football which left the Arsenal defence stretched from beginning to end. The Catalan side needed just one goal after losing 2-1 at the Emirates and Messi put them ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Johan Djourou insists Arsenal's defenders are good enough to shutdown Barcelona's all-star cast in Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first leg clash at the Emirates Stadium.Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy will be charged with one of the most difficult tasks in world football at the Emirates Stadium when they try to frustrate Lionel Messi, David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.That world-class quartet have combined to devastating effect this season as Barca reduced defences to rubble across Europe.

Spain World Cup star David Villa scored a fine debut goal as Spanish champions Barcelona began their title defence with a resounding 3-0 win at Racing Santander on Sunday.Villa, 28, was the big summer signing, costing Barcelona 40 million euros from Valencia, and the forward showed why with a well-placed header on the hour for his first league goal in Barca's colours.Argentine Lionel Messi had opened the scoring on three minutes with a neat chip for his 131st club goal to surpass Brazilian great Rivaldo in Barca's goalscoring hall of fame.

Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to take his season's tally to 22 goals as Barcelona returned to the top of the Spanish Primera Liga with a 3-0 home victory over 10-man Valencia on Sunday.Argentine Messi showed why he is regarded as the world's best player with three terrific individual second-half goals earning him a standing ovation at the Camp Nou as Barca moved three points clear of Real Madrid.