Another Clásico came and went and once again, we got to encounter another controversy regarding Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Everyone saw Pepe’s intentional act of stepping on Messi’s hand and although no swift action was taken, it was expected that the RFEF would use video evidence to go after Pepe. Unfortunately, RFEF failed to punish Pepe and he was back in the starting lineup. This was just another example of how the RFEF have double standards and quite frankly it is getting to be pathetic.

FC Barcelona battled hard and managed to hang on to advance to the Copa Del Rey Semi-Finals after conceding two goals in the second half for a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid. Pedro opened the scoring two minutes before the interval from a wonderful Messi assist and Dani Alves volleyed a rocket two minutes into stoppage time to give Barça a two goal lead. Pedro had come on as a substitute when Iniesta had to be taken off because of an injury near the half hour mark. The second half saw Mourinho bring on some changes, such as the introduction of Benzema, which quickly paid off when Madrid scored two quick goals in a matter of four minutes with twenty minutes left. The final twenty minutes were an ordeal but Barça hung on to win and Madrid saw Ramos get sent off again in the Camp Nou. Barça also had more bad news when Alexis had to be substituted in the second half after falling awkwardly following a Pepe tackle inside the box. Up next is a tricky away match against Villarreal on Saturday.

FC Barcelona held their training session this morning behind closed doors as they prepare for their cup tie against Real Madrid later on today. Today’s training session had a surprise visitor when club legend, Luis Suarez, dropped to watch the session. 19 players have been picked by Guardiola in preparation for today’s encounter with 17 first team players along with Barça B players Jonathan Dos Santos, and Sergi Roberto. In other news, Pepe was also cleared to play today since he was not punished by the RFEF for his actions after stepping on Messi’s hand in the first leg. The game kicks off at 4 PM and you can watch it with your fellow Barça fans at Fritz & Franz. GolTV and ESPN Deportes will also be broadcasting the game along with live streaming on ESPN 3.

FC Barcelona continued their great week following victories over Real Betis and Real Madrid with a great away win against Malaga. Messi opened the scoring after the half hour mark with a header goal for the only goal of the first half. The second half saw Barça grab two quick goals just five minutes into the second half. Thiago’s shot on goal was stopped by the Malaga keeper but Alexis was there to blast the rebound in. A few minutes later, Messi grabbed his brace when he zigzagged between defenders before slotting it past the keeper inside the box. Messi completed his hat trick nine minutes before time with a goal that came after a great run from the center of the pitch which gave him 22 goals in the league and 216 in his career.

FC Barcelona grabbed a difficult victory in the Spanish capital after being down a goal after the first to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Santiago Bernabéu. Just like their last encounter back in December, Madrid had the early lead when Ronaldo scored in the 10th minute in what might be considered a soft goal surrendered by Pinto. Nevertheless, Barça roared back in the second half with their captain tying the score a few minutes into the second half before another defender, Abidal, scored the game winner 14 minutes before time. This victory was also marred by more dirty plays from the Madrid players with Pepe once again playing the role of the villain when he stepped on Messi’s hand while Messi was on the ground. This result means Barça have the advantage heading into next week’s second leg at the Camp Nou with two precious away goals. Next up for Barça is another away trip as they travel to face Malaga on Sunday.

FC Barcelona landed in Madrid today as they prepare to face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa Del Rey Quarter-Finals. Barça traveled with 15 first team player and four Barça B players. The game kicks off at 4 PM and you can watch it with your fellow Barça fans at Fritz & Franz. GolTV and ESPN Deportes will also be broadcasting the game along with live streaming on ESPN 3.

As we enter a new year, an old dilemma still haunts our beloved game of football. Just these past few weeks, the calls of ref bias reared its ugly head again. The big surprise though, was that it was coming from Barça fans this time. The missed calls on the obvious handball in the Espanyol game coupled with the booking to Iniesta after he was fouled inside the box in the Betis game and the missed calls in the Madrid Mallorca game upset many fans who believe the gap between the archrivals should be down to two points. I don’t think there is a bias by the refs. It’s just incompetence. I also think that the idea of instant replay has to become a reality in the near future so we don't have to witness another poor decision like Iniesta's booking against Betis this past weekend.

In a game where Barça presented the FIFA Club World Trophy and Messi presented the Ballon d’Or, Barça fought off a gritty Betis side after blowing a two goal lead to come out victorious 4-2 ahead of their Wednesday trip to the Spanish capital to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey Quarter-Finals. Xavi and Messi gave Barça the early lead just twelve minutes into the game before Ruben Castro pulled one back for Betis after the half hour mark. Barça’s night got worse in the second half when substitute Santa Cruz scored six minutes into the second half. Fortunately, Barça showed their resilience and did not give up. The game took a turn for the better when Betis were reduced to playing with 10 players for the final 20 minutes and Alexis scored the go-ahead goal in the 74th minute before Messi grabbed the important insurance goal five minutes before time when he converted from the spot. This result means Barça remain five points behind their arch rivals Real Madrid and get to shift their focus from league play to Copa Del Rey when they face Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Wednesday.