Less than a week after some pundits and other critics have questioned Lionel Messi’s form, the little Argentinean responded in emphatic form. Messi had failed to score in the last three matches yet he registered a hat-trick as he guided Barca to an impressive 5-0 win.

The hat-trick not only silenced the critics but also propelled Messi to second place on the Catalan club’s all-time scoring list behind Cesar Rodriguez. The hat-trick took his tally to 13 goals in just 10 La Liga matches while his totals for the season stand at 19 goals in 17 appearances. What is more impressive is the fact Messi has also assisted on another 11 goals emphasizing how important he is to Barca’s drive to win more titles and the ability to fend off competitors on both the domestic and European fronts.

Barca’s supporters will be pleased to see their star player erase any doubt about his form, in particular with a couple of tough matches scheduled for early December when the Catalans host surprise package Levante on December 4th before traveling to Madrid a week later to take on Real Madrid in one of the most anticipated duels worldwide. Barca have had to deal with some key injuries this season which have deprived coach Pep Guardiola of influential players particularly on the defensive end with Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique several matches while Andres Iniesta has also missed some playing time. The return of these players will provide Guardiola with a more complete squad to choose from while erasing any fears of Barca’s susceptibility at the back ahead of the gigantic standoff against Real.

Real’s star player Cristiano Ronaldo is also having a great season and his numbers are quite impressive despite being inferior to those registered by the Argentine wizard. Ronaldo might not be hard pressed to score like last season considering Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has returned to full fitness and has been scoring on a regular basis to help Los Blancos challenge for the league title.

While Barca were effective in the transfer market after capturing Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, it must be said that Real could be considered as the summer’s biggest winners with two influential players in Higuain and Brazilian Kaka returning to fitness following injury problems in the 2010-11 season. Both can be considered as great additions to coach Jose Mourinho’s squad since they are now able to contribute and assume a key role in the club’s challenge to Barca’s supremacy in both La Liga and Europe.

Fans worldwide will be anticipating the massive clash between the bitter rivals in Madrid on December 11th, but, in the meantime, both clubs must be careful not to underestimate their opponents in the buildup to El Clásico. For now, Messi and Ronaldo will both resume their favorite hobby of terrorizing opposing defensive lines while preparing for the crucial derby which could be decisive in determining which side has a leg up despite being scheduled rather early in the season.

People are not shocked when they hear that Messi or Ronaldo managed to score a hat-trick because both stars have shown a unique ability to find the back of the net from different angles and through various ways.

The El Clasico teams of Barcelona and Real Madrid have continued their battle for superiority at the top of the Spanish Primera Division this season, with both facing tricky fixtures over the next three weeks.

Valencia v Real Madrid

Valencia finished third last season and on their day have the ability to take on the big two; they host Madrid on Saturday 19th November at the Mestalla. Unai Emery’s team will want to put the 6-3 drubbing they received in the corresponding fixture last season to the back of their minds, and despite the loss of Juan Mata to Chelsea over the summer still have a strong side. Roberto Soldado has something to prove against his former club, but the Los Che rearguard must stand up to the attacking prowess of the visitors.

Real Madrid moved to the top of La Liga with a convincing 4-0 win over Malaga on Saturday 22nd October, and will look to keep picking up three points to stay there. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a quick-fire hat-trick in that win, and seems virtually unstoppable when he is in the mood. Jose Mourinho has not enjoyed playing second fiddle to Pep Guardiola over the last couple of years, and will urge his side to achieve glory this term.

La Liga tickets can be hard to come by, but you can still attend this game by purchasing tickets online at TicketBis.

Real Madrid v Villarreal

Spain’s fourth Champions League representative Villarreal have not shown the same form that took them into Europe’s top club competition last year, and have started this campaign inconsistently. Despite this, the side from El Madrigal have a lethal strike partnership in the form of Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar, who will look to take advantage of Madrid’s over confidence. The loss of Santi Cazorla to Malaga over the summer was a blow, but Villarreal still can get something from the team if they play to their potential.

Madrid’s attacking players are well documented and well known, but if Jose Mourinho’s men are to truly challenge the Catalan champions, they must be more regimented at the back. Sergio Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho are integral to Los Blancos rearguard, and must marshall the opposition attackers to win this one.

Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona

Barcelona have lost none of their potency from the last few seasons, but face a difficult trip to Basque country on Saturday 5th November. Pep Guardiola’s team have looked just as ominous as ever this season, but have dropped points unexpectedly with three draws from their first eight games. Gerard Pique is unavailable through injury, and the Catalan side have missed the Spain international in their defence, conceding more goals than the Camp Nou fans would like.

Bilbao are looking to follow on from a competitive 2010-11 season, but have started slowly and sit in mid-table currently. Marcelo Bielsa’s men have the ability to qualify for Europe again, but their over-reliance on star striker Fernando Llorente has the ability to cripple them if he is unavailable. Despite this, the San Moix crowd will be sure to make it a difficult day for the visitors, and would love to see an unlikely victory.

La Liga Tickets with TicketBis

If youíre looking to buy La Liga tickets online, you can get them from TicketBis, an online tickets exchange that specialises in helping football fans buy and sell tickets online for just about any game in Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCMWK7umhrQ

As you can imagine, it has got to be a difficult task of narrowing down the goals from Barcelona and picking 10 of the best. But the TV presenter shown in the above video has done it to the best of his ability.

Watch the video and tell us what you think.

YouTuber allasFCB2 has created another wonderful video. This time it’s his analysis of Barcelona’s 3-4-3 formation against Villarreal in their first game of the 2011-12 La Liga season.

The video shows several reasons why Barcelona is the best team in the world. Villarreal, to be fair, didn’t put up much of a fight (they lost 5-0 at Camp Nou Monday). But still, congratulations to Barcelona on a well-deserved victory.

Photo by kamal_k00

You can watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup live on ESPN Deportes (4pm ET, 17th August).

What: Spanish Super Cup Final, second leg
When: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona
What time: Coverage starts on ESPN Deportes at 4pm ET
Where can I watch it (in USA): Live on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN3.com and GolTV

“If we win the Spanish Super Cup, we will have to play much better” said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, when referring to Sunday night’s below-par performance by FC Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid controlled most of the possession and dictated the play in the first half, but Barcelona capitalized on their chances and managed to tie the game 2-2.

Now the 2011 Spanish Super Cup will be decided at Camp Nou between two teams who are desperate to seize the trophy. And both teams have so much to play for.

Barcelona will be boosted by Alexis Sanchez’s sparking performance in the first leg against Real Madrid as well as the addition of Cesc Fabregas to their squad. Whether or not he’ll play Wednesday night is questionable. The former Arsenal midfielder trained with Barcelona on Tuesday and appears to be matchfit.

Guardiola, meanwhile, hasn’t announced his starting line-up for the massive game against Real Madrid.

A key to how both teams will play Wednesday night is the away goals rule. If the second leg is tied after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided using the away goals rule. Barcelona scored two precious goals at Real Madrid’s ground on Sunday night, so they definitely have a significant advantage knowing that Real Madrid will need to either win the game or score three or more goals if the game is tied.

However, Real Madrid knows that a one-nil victory is the minimum that’s needed to win the Spanish Super Cup. Having said that, it’s extremely difficult to stop Barcelona from scoring goals, so a very defensive-minded tactic by Mourinho could backfire especially if Barcelona pulls a goal back to tie it 1-1 late in the game.

The tactics that will be employed Wednesday night are just one part of the intrigue around this game that features two of the best teams in the world.

In a calculated move, straight from Jose Mourinho’s textbook, he didn’t attend the Real Madrid press conference Tuesday but had his assistant manager, Aitor Karanka, speak to the media instead. During the press conference, Karanka defended Pepe and brushed off the criticism Pepe has received from the public. Many Barcelona fans argue that Pepe is a dirty player who intentionally goes out of his way to harm Barcelona’s players on the pitch when given an opportunity. Karanka, not surprisingly, disagrees.

Real Madrid are also keeping their starting lineup close to their chest. In the game of chess between Barcelona and Real Madrid, it’s not surprising that both teams are keeping their team lineups as massive secrets. This will be a game that’s closely contested. And it may turn into a very heated affair between two of the biggest rivals especially with so much on the line.

No matter what happens Wednesday night, this is going to be must-see TV.

FC Barcelona released a video Monday to coincide with the signing of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder, who participated in his first Barcelona training session today in Spain, is featured in the cartoon (see above video) — and may be ready to play in Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

While soccer is a serious business, it shows that Barcelona also sees the lighter side based on the above cartoon. It also indicates that the Spanish club had a very good indication that Fabregas would join Barcelona since the cartoon obviously must have taken some time to create.

Photo by boldorak2208

Despite the news that La Liga will delay the start of the 2011-12 season due to a strike by the Spanish players’ union, soccer fans can still look forward to the 2011 Supercopa Espana which kicks off Sunday, August 14 between La Liga winner Barcelona and Copa del Rey champion Real Madrid.

The final will be played over two-legs. Live coverage of Sunday’s game at Santiago Bernabeu begins at 4pm ET on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN3.com, while the Wednesday August 17 second leg will be broadcast live from Camp Nou at 5pm ET, also on ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPN3.com

In addition to the game coverage, ESPN Deportes has plenty more in store including:

• Fuera de Juego (Sun 8/14 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:00p.m.-7:00 pm ET. Wed. 8/17 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET) – The network’s international soccer program will offer special live coverage from site with host and soccer expert Fernando Palomo,
• SportsCenter (Sun 8/14 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET). ESPN Deportes’ flagship sports news and information program will feature extensive coverage with special reports from Rafa Puente, and José Ramón Fernández;
• Los Capitanes (Wed 8/17 from 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. ET) – The network’s commentary program will feature special live reports from Camp Nou with José Ramón Fernandez

Meanwhile, ESPNDeportes.com will provide in-depth coverage highlighted by extensive online video, real-time Gamecast application featuring live scores and stats as the matches unfold. Additional features include live polls, blogs, photo gallery and video clips highlighting the best plays.

Both the first and second leg will also be shown live on GolTV.

“Barcelona’s philosophy never changes. Speed of thought, and speed of mind, enable the players to take control of any match” is how Nike describes the successful formula that the Blaugrana preaches.

After watching this 90 second video, you get a good glimpse of what separates Barcelona from many of their competitors in Europe as well as how intense their training sessions are.

Enjoy the video.

Despite Manchester United’s rampant activity this summer, United still haven’t addressed the pressing need of finding a central midfielder to replace Paul Scholes. They are currently embroiled in transfer sagas over immediate replacements like Wesley Sneijder, Luka Modric and Samir Nasri. However, the Daily Mirror has recently reported that Sir Alex is making an audacious move to address the future in Barcelona and Spain sensation, Thiago Alcantara.

The twenty year old central midfielder, whose form reminds many of Andres Iniesta, has become one of the biggest young talents in Europe. His impressive form in the U21 UEFA European Championship for Spain has turned heads to recognize his growing status as potentially one of the best midfielders in the world. Sir Alex seems to be a great admirer of Alcantara as he has made the biggest offer Barcelona has received yet at €15 million.

Barcelona and Pep Guardiola may now have a problem trying to keep hold of Alcantara. While Guardiola would certainly want to keep him for the years ahead, Alcantara looks unlikely to have much of a role on the senior squad in the immediate future. Barcelona is reluctant to sell one of their rising stars to a rival like Manchester United and would prefer to send him on loan to another Premier League club. Barcelona also wants to include a buy-back clause which Manchester United would certainly not agree to. The Catalan giants have even tried to include Alcantara in a deal for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas but the Gunners have shown great resilience in not budging from their astronomical, original price of over €50 million.

From Manchester United’s perspective, it’s easy to understand why Sir Alex would go all out to sign  Thiago Alcantara. For his age, Alcantara boasts superb technical skill when the ball is at his feet. His passing, dribbling, creativity and first touch are simply sensational for his age. He shows great energy throughout entire matches and under the right guidance, his talent will inevitably become world class. He also is a dead ball specialist in terms of free kicks which he proved after his stunning 45 yard free kick goal in the U21 European Championship final against Switzerland.

Fergie and his staff have always been lauded for their eye for the future in terms of signing young talented footballers. At Manchester United, Alcantara would need time transitioning to life both on and off the pitch in Manchester. He needs to gain more experience so it would be unfair to expect him to immediately improve Manchester United’s midfield. However, one of Sir Alex’s greatest gifts is managing deep squads and knowing how to properly allot matches to satisfy everyone on the roster. He is also one of the best at developing young talent over time which has been recently seen with the likes of the Da Silva twins, Chris Smalling and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.  While Thiago wouldn’t be a regular starter, he could be a vital role player in the central midfield throughout the season. Alcantara would only get better under the tutelage of experienced veterans like Ryan Giggs and from coach Paul Scholes.

Interest in Thiago Alcantara is likely to grow now after his recent performances for Spain. Barcelona will resist the notion of selling him and their buy-back clause will turn off interested suitors. However, while Alcantara will want to play more, he’s going to have a limited role for at least next season. Alcantara may demand to be sold to another club like United where he could get more opportunity to play.

Trying to sign the Spanish international from Barcelona is going to be very difficult for Manchester United. However, Alcantara may want to go to a team where he is more immediately needed. There is no doubt that at Manchester United, Thiago Alcantara would be seen as the eventual replacement to Paul Scholes.

All eyes will be on the clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid with the magnificent Camp Nou playing host to this top of the table meeting of the eternal rivals. Without disregarding or belittling the history behind this intense rivalry which extends beyond the football pitch to engulf social and political agendas, millions of people in Spain and around the world will be concentrating on what will happen on the field with the great talents such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi taking on Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Mesut Özil.

Barcelona have won the last four matches, including a 2-0 win in Madrid last season which practically sealed the title for the Catalans. The Ronaldo versus Messi show never developed into an enticing scenario as the first match in Barcelona was decided by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, currently with Milan, while the win in Madrid saw Messi and Perdo score the two goals. In 160 La Liga matches, Los Galacticos have the edge with 68 wins compared to 62 by Barca while the two sides were forced to settle for a draw in 30 other games.

This first clash between the two giants of Spanish football will be important on more than one front. Barca are current La Liga champions while Real have hired Jose Mourinho, a season after achieving a historic treble with Inter, in order to regain the league title and challenge for the Champions League. The winner from this match will be on top of the league standings and will earn a massive morale boost as the players from the victorious team will probably go on to win matches until the two sides meet again in the return fixture.

Los Blancos are currently on top a single point above Barca and have yet to lose this season. Real have won four of their away games while drawing the other two. Interesting enough, Barca have lost once this season and it was at home while they also drew another game at the Camp Nou. Barcelona are perfect away from home but this could be explained by the fact all teams visiting the Camp Nou tend to opt for an ultra defensive strategy, have all their players chase the ball and attempt to snatch a famous draw.

La Liga has become a two-horse race between the two giants as the competing teams have had to settle for the positions starting with third place and going all the way down to the relegation zone. The closest team to Barca, who are in second place, is already seven points behind while last season Real, who finished in second, were a stunning 25 points ahead of the third team in La Liga. This increases importance of this match since the winner will likely gain momentum and continue to have the edge in the standings until the two teams meet again.

Both teams have scored 33 goals but Real’s defensive line has conceded less and this could be further evidence of the influence coach Jose Mourinho has on the Madrid club. The Portuguese coach has won titles with Inter and Chelsea by restricting opponents, relying on a solid defensive line and having a strong group ethic. Barca’s top scorer is Messi with his 13 goals but Ronaldo has managed to find the back of the net 14 times in La Liga. Both stars have astonishing numbers. It remains to be seen how the two key players will perform on this big stage.

Could Messi or Ronaldo tip the match’s balance to lead their club to victory or will someone else decide the match? It would not be a surprise to see both clubs end the match with a high scoring tie since the two teams have a number of players who can score goals such as David Villa and Karim Benzema among others. Regardless of who wins the game, seeing Messi and Ronaldo clash will be quite enticing despite the fact the two will not really face each other due to their position with their respective team (Check http://www.laligatalk.com/messi-versus-ronaldo/1881 for a previous analysis on Messi & C. Ronaldo).