Sports

Barcelona lead Real Madrid by two points with three matches remaining, although the end of the season is now in doubt.

Guardiola had predicted there was nothing he could do to contain the sublime talent of Messi during their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

Inter Milan were jeered off at San Siro again after a 0-0 draw with Chievo.

Drogba is expecting a "crazy" Stamford Bridge atmosphere when Chelsea attempt to clinch the Premier League title for the first time in five years with a win at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"Last weekend was below the group's standard. I didn't even need to tell them, they told me," Pardew said.

Guardiola says he will not know until shortly before the match whether striker Lewandowski will play on Wednesday in the Champions League semi-finals.

"They have proved to be more consistent from the start to the end and we weren't able to reel them in." Wenger said.

A fantastic finish to the first half saw Empoli go in at the break with a commanding 3-0 lead after goals from Massimo Maccarone and Riccardo Saponara.

The club from Emilia-Romagna this week completed a fairytale-like first promotion to Italy's Serie A, just five years after being in fifth division.

Liverpool's half-baked pre-season transfer dealings have come back to bite them with Rodgers admitting his side have lacked the quality to finish in the Premier League's top four.

Bayern Munich’s Polish forward Robert Lewandowski is in danger of being sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering concussion in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against Borussia Dortmund.

"Messi is a divine player, he is god-like. The hopes of Barcelona are reliant on Messi," said Beckenbauer.

With the Spanish league season nearing its end, Real Madrid can only wait for Barcelona to falter.

While United are still well-placed to secure a top-four spot with four games to go, Van Gaal admitted that Sunday's result will fuel Liverpool's belief.

Nordin Amrabat scored from outside the area to give Malaga the lead two minutes after halftime against Deportivo in La Liga.

Liverpool need a top-level striker who can play every week and Sturridge could lose his role as the club's leading man after an injury-hit season, Rodgers has said.