Xavi Hernandez, the best playmaker in the world for the fourth consecutive year

The International Federation for Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) named Barcelona's footballer Xavi Hernandez as the best playmaker in the world.

This is the fourth consecutive year the Catalan player receives this honor. Xavi outranked Barcelona teammates Lio Messi and Andres Iniesta, and many other popular players like Cristiano Ronaldo and David Silva. 

Here's the final ranking made by the IFFHS: 

1. Xavier Hernández Creus "Xavi" (SPA/Barcelona) 232 puntos

2. Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona) 147

3. Andrés Iniesta (SPA/Barcelona) 110

4. Mesut Özil (GER/Real Madrid) 59

5. Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid) 47

6. David Silva (SPA/Manchester City) 31

7. Wesley Sneijder (DEU/Inter Milan) 22

8. Xabier Alonso "Xabi" (SPA/Real Madrid) 19

9. Diego Forlán (URU/Inter Milan) 17

10. Cesc Fábregas (SPA/Barcelona) 15

11. Andrea Pirlo (ITA/Juventus) 15

12. Franck Ribery (FRA/Bayern Munich) 10

13. Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER/Bayern Munich) 9

14. Luka Modric (CRO/Tottenham Hotspur) 8

15. Frank Lampard (ENG/Chelsea) 5

16. Javier Matías Pastore (ARG/Paris Saint-Germain) 5

Messi missed a penalty shot as Barcelona only got a 0-0 tie with Sevilla

According to Josep Guardiola, Sevilla is one of the big teams in Spain. And the final result seem to prove him right. Barcelona FC could only achieve a 0-0 tie with Sevilla last saturday at the Camp Nou.

The most valuable player of the game was Sevilla's goalkeeper Javi Varas. Not just for his impressive saves during the 90 minutes, but for stopping Lio Messi's penalty shoot in the very last minute of the match.

The referee showed the red card to Fernando Navarro and Kanoute, but that could not keep Sevilla from rescueing an important point.

Barcelona falls to the second place of the Spanish League, right behind leaders Real Madrid.

Once again Messi stands out with two brilliant goals against Racing

The 2011/2012 season still has Lio Messi and Barcelona in the spotlight. The blaugrana team defeated Racing Santander 3-0 with two great goals scored by the argentinian genius. The other one was netted by Xavi Hernandez.

The game at the Camp Nou was almost a monologue of Guardiola's team. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta - who just recovered from an injury - dominated the game and generated the goals for Barcelona. When Iniesta and Lio play together, their game turns out to be unstoppable.

Guardiola used some players that usually do not play from the first minute: Maxwell and Thiago. Both of them did a great job against Racing.

Barcelona remains as leader of the Spanish League, with 17 points. Real Madrid follows them with 16, and Valencia share the third place with Levante.

Blaugrana draw against Lyon in the Champions League

After a hard game, Barca put themselves on course for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the moment a Thierry Henry header earned them a 1-1 draw at Olympique Lyon. Time to breath for catalan fans.

The popular Henry stooped to head home from less than a metre in the 67th minute after defender Rafael Marquez deflected a Lionel Messi corner towards the far post.

Brazilian midfielder Juninho put the home side ahead after seven minutes at the moment his free kick from the left flank sailed over goalkeeper Victor Valdes and inside the top far corner.

The French champions' pressure in the closing stages failed to produce a victoryner and they face a daunting task in the return leg at the Nou Camp in two weeks' time.

Indeed, the Blaugrana team, who slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat by city rivals Espanyol at the weekend, rose to the occasion in the second half and it proved too much for Lyon.

"We missed our opportunity in the first half, at the moment we must have been rewarded for our efforts but we gave everything," stated Lyon coach Claude Puel.

"(In the return leg) we will have opportunities. We will must be very solid."

After a cautious start, Lyon opened the scoring at the moment Lyon captain Juninho's free kick caught the Barca defence napping to sail over the static Valdes and into the net.

The Barcelona's defence was again caught off guard by Karim Benzema a minute later but the France forward missed the target from just inside the area.

Although Barca enjoyed most of the possession, Lyon were sharp on the break and showed more aggressiveness.

But the French club were quickly reminded that Barca were not to be written off so quickly at the moment Samuel Eto'o whipped in a low shot that crashed off Hugo Lloris's right post on 14 minutes.

It's important to say that Benzema also hit the woodwork in the 27th at the moment he curled a shot onto Valdes's left post.

Messi had the Lyon crowd booing him throughout an ill-tempered first half after he theatrically fell holding his head following a Fabio Grosso challenge.

Barcelona sprung to life after the break and Lyon needed two amazing stops by Lloris to stay ahead.

A Daniel Alves free kick was deflected towards the goal in the 57th minute and Gerard Pique thought he had an equaliser from close range eight minutes later but both times, the French keeper denied Barca.

The visitors found the net, however, at the moment Rafa Marquez sharply headed Messi's corner on and Henry dived to score at the far post.

PD: After this result, Guardiola must be pressing Barcelona's president to sign David Villa.