Sports

Barça midfielder Sergio Busquets this morning signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2015. The deal also includes the chance to extend the contract based on games played in its final season.

Barça got the job done with an excellent result in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi final against Almeria. Goals from Messi (2), Villa and Pedro in the first half and a late strike from Keita have FCB as good as in the final.

Pep Guardiola expects the game with Almeria to be tough. The manager knows how important this week is and just how special the Cup is.

It was another party night at the Nou Camp tonight as Barça began the second half of the season with a convincing 3-0 win over Racing, who were chasing the game from the very first minute.

Josep Guardiola has warned that Racing are capable of causing Barça problems if his team fail to play with maximum concentration. The boss also commented on Alves’ and Pinto’s situation.

Barça have qualified for the semi finals of the Copa del Rey despite losing 3-1 at Betis. All of the goals were scored in a gripping first half, with Messi on target for Barça and also missing a penalty. It’s the first time FCB have lost since September 11.

Barça’s supremacy is made patently clear in the all star eleven named on the UEFA official website, where users have picked six Barça players in Piqué, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and Villa.

Half the job done, half the job left to do. FC Barcelona, following the 5-0 first leg win, are off to Seville tonight (22.00, La Sexta and R@dio Barça) to settle qualification for the cup semi finals. Alves and Puyol are the only players missing.

The USA Perpignan team visited the Camp Nou and exchanged photos, good wishes and shirts with the Barça players. They were all clearly impressed later on when they visited the Nou Camp installations.

Barça thrashed Malaga 4-1 after another sublime first half performance and finish the first half of the Championship stronger leaders than ever. Iniesta, Villa (2) and Pedro were on target for Guardiola’s men as they ran up their 13th successive leag.

FC Barcelona's win against Real Betis on Wednesday evening took their run to 27 matches without defeat and that equalled the club record held by the side in the 1973/74 campaign.

Lionel Messi crowned his triumph in winning the Ballon d'Or this week by hitting a stunning hat-trick as FC Barcelona took a huge stride towards a place in the Copa del Rey semi finals with victory over Real Betis.

Barça receives Betis in the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey (22.00 pm) two days after being the main attraction at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich. Leo Messi will be sharing the trophy with fans before kick off.

Leo Messi is the winner of the 2010 FIFA Ballon D’Or after taking the trophy for the second year on the run. Messi won 22,65% of the votes, ahead of teammates Andrés Iniesta (17,36%) and Xavi Hernández (16,48%).

FC Barcelona have won at Riazor with goals from Villa, Messi, Iniesta and Pedro, three in the second half. That’s their ninth away win and takes them up to 49 points.