Guardiola keen on Man United job

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is ready to snub the advances of Chelsea to take up the hotseat at Manchester United.

The Spanish coach has been continually linked to replace under-fire Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge following a poor run of results that saw the Blues drop to second-place in the Barclays Premier League.

Owner Roman Abramovich is said to be the mastermind of former assistant manager Ray Wilkin's shock departure and the soon-leaving sporting director Frank Arnesen - in order to pave way for Guardiola to take charge of his club.

But according to the Daily Mirror, Guardiola, who just led his side to a 5-0 victory over Real Madrid on Monday, is not interested in a move to the English capital - instead he has entertained the idea of taking over Sir Alex Ferguson should he calls it a day at Old Trafford.

The report also claim that the 39-year-old's agent Josep Maria Orobitg has been approached by a number of top clubs, one of which is Chelsea.

However, Guardiola could well sign a one-year-old extension at the Camp Nou or even take a year of sabbatical at the end of the season.

But a source quoted in the Daily Mirror claims: "It seems that Pep really would be keen on working with Sir Alex, if that was possible.

"It would allow him to come to terms with England under the guidance of the best."

Ancelotti laughs off Guardiola talk

Carlo Ancelotti has brushed off reports Chelsea are lining up Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to replace him.

Speculation over the weekend claimed that Blues owner Roman Abramovich wanted Guardiola to succeed Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge following a period of upheaval.

Ray Wilkins was axed as Ancelotti's assistant earlier this month and, on Saturday, the club confirmed Frank Arnesen would be leaving his position as sporting director at the end of the season.

Former Barcelona technical director Txiki Beguiristain has been mooted as a replacement for Arnesen and that has prompted the rumours concerning Guardiola.

However, speaking after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, Ancelotti refused to give any credence to the latest doubts being placed over his future.

"I have heard of Pep Guardiola, to be frank," said Ancelotti, whose Premier League champions lost top spot to Manchester United at the weekend.

"But you don't have to ask me - the coach is always the last to know. Don't ask me.

"We are not interested. We focus on our training and our matches."

Ancelotti also laughed off the claims that Chelsea are aiming to appoint Beguiristain as Arnesen's successor in West London.

The Italian joked: "I don't know this name. I think there was a player at Barcelona, but I don't know what job he is doing now."

Guardiola: Expect a fantastic Clasico

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has no intention of curbing his side`s attacking instincts against Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Clashes between Barca and Madrid are always eagerly anticipated, but Sunday's showdown at the Nou Camp has caught the imagination even more than usual in Spain with both clubs in top form.

Madrid, who boast a one-point lead over second-placed Barca at the top of the standings, are still unbeaten in any competition under new coach Jose Mourinho and have won their last seven successive Primera Division matches.

Barca, meanwhile, have not lost since mid-September and have won their last six leagues games - including an 8-0 thrashing of Almeria last time out.

There is also the mouthwatering prospect of seeing arguably the world`s best two players - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - going head-to-head for their respective sides.

Guardiola said of the clash: "I hope it will be a fantastic game. It`s very difficult to avoid over-excitement with Madrid coming here. That`s normal."

Madrid go into the game having won 15 and drawn the other four of their 19 competitive matches under Mourinho, while they have the joint-best attack in La Liga with 33 goals (the same as Barca) and the tightest defence with only six goals conceded.

They also boast the top scorer in the division, with Ronaldo having struck 14 times already, while Mourinho has enjoyed recent success over Barca having knocked the Catalan giants out of the Champions League semi-finals last season while in charge of Inter Milan.

Guardiola, who has led Barca to four successive wins over their bitter rivals, spoke highly of the capital club - but insists he will not be changing the two-time reigning Spanish champions` penchant for attacking football.

"Madrid are not just spectacular, they are also physical, effective, quick and direct while remaining well-organised and very strong," he said.

"Mourinho knows that we will go out to attack and they will do it when they can. If we lose, I want to be able to say `we`ve been Barca`.

"Madrid have always been a good team and always will be. I anticipate how Real Madrid are going to play and they know how we are going to play. There will be no surprises.

"Madrid are the team with the best counter-attack in the world. They`ve done this for a long time and for a team to play on the counter the other has to attack. And this is going to be us.

"It`s going to be a beautiful game. We aren`t going to change anything, we will protect ourselves but we aren`t going to play deeper. I don`t want that and it will also send a message to the players that I`m scared. We are going to do the same as always. We will try to win and do it in the best way possible."

He added: "Madrid seem strong to me. I`ve beaten Madrid four times, but I know that sooner or later I`m going to lose against them.

"If we both play to our best level, it`ll be a draw. If there are no mistakes, only great goals...it`ll be a draw. You cannot say that Barcelona are a better team than Real Madrid. It wouldn't be fair. Real Madrid are very strong."

Guardiola also concurred with Mourinho`s earlier comments that whatever happens on Monday night, the race for the league title will remain alive.

He said: "Its important, very important, but I don`t think it`s decisive. There`s more than half the season left. There could be injuries, changes in form, there are months like January and February where there are a huge amount of matches and many things can happen.

"They arrive here as leaders and we want to win. But I don`t think the result is going to be decisive. Whoever wins will not be champions next week."

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Press praise brilliant Barca

The Spanish press waxed lyrical over Barcelona`s comprehensive 5-0 defeat of arch rivals Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.

Words such as `thrashed`, `humiliated` and `ridiculed` were the order of the day for many of Spain's broadsheets.

Madrid went into El Clasico still unbeaten in 19 competitive matches under new coach Jose Mourinho and boasting a one-point lead over second-placed Barca at the top of the Primera Division standings, but they were swept aside in stunning fashion by Pep Guardiola`s troops.

Goals from Xavi and Pedro put the hosts 2-0 up after 18 minutes and then another of Barca`s World Cup-winning contingent David Villa added a quickfire brace at the start of the second half to make if 4-0 inside an hour.

Guardiola`s side, who have now won five successive matches against Madrid - including a similarly emphatic 6-2 mauling at the Bernabeu in 2009, added a fifth goal in stoppage-time through Jeffren before Madrid lost Sergio Ramos to a straight red card for scything down Lionel Messi.

This morning`s newspapers in Spain were universal in their reporting of Barca`s overwhelming dominance in what had been one of the most eagerly-awaited Clasicos in recent times.

Catalan-based daily Sport`s front page had a picture of a splayed hand with the headline: "5-0. Slap to Mourinho. Thrashing, humiliation and leaders!"

It added: "Footballing lesson from Barca to Madrid who received another historic thrashing at the Nou Camp."

Sport, who also advertised on its front page t-shirts commemorating the victory, added inside: "Another golden page for Barca. Spectacular game of the Azulgranas which ridiculed their rivals. The humiliation left Mourinho hiding on the bench. The whole world saw how there is still no team like Barca."

Sport`s fellow Barcelona-based paper El Mundo Deportivo`s front cover was emblazoned with a huge 5-0 over the picture of Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes and centre-back Gerard Pique holding up their hands up with fingers outstretched in celebration of the result.

It`s headline read: "Madrid thrashed!"

Spain`s biggest-selling paper, Madrid-based Marca, also praised Barca but pointed an accusing finger at referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez as well.

On it`s online edition the headlines were: "Slap to Real Madrid" and "This Barca is a machine".

The front cover of its newspaper added: "After 18 minutes it was already 2-0 thanks to the football from another galaxy of Xavi, Villa and SuperMessi. Iturralde denied a penalty from Valdes on CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) and an offside of `El Guaje` (Villa) in the third goal. Ramos was sent off for taking out the Argentinian and then lost control."

It continued inside, saying: "Memorable symphony. Barca destroy a disappointing Madrid. Lesson of class, intelligence and the precision of their midfielders. The biggest defeat of a team of Mourinho`s".

Marca also heaped praise on Barca playmaker Xavi, who has been struggling with an Achilles tendon problem this season but was in stunning form again last night.

"Xavi broke the game with 20 minutes of genius," said Marca in giving the Spain international their star man award. "There is no other like him. Xavi was a cyclone. He dominated all aspects of the game; control, passing, precision, acceleration, pausing, pressure and (scored a) goal."

Another Madrid-based sports newspaper AS showed a picture of Barca striker Bojan Krkic and Sami Khedira attempting to hold back Ramos as the referee showed him his red card, with the headline: `Thrashed and in tatters`.

Ramos was dismissed for his ugly foul on Messi and then shoved Barca captain Carles Puyol and Xavi - both Spain team-mates of the Madrid defender - in the face as he made his way off the pitch.

Inside AS it added: "Barcelona danced against a Madrid without soul. They had no answer to the touch football of Barca."

In their sports pages, El Pais, the biggest-selling non-sports paper in Spain, spoke of: "An historic Azulgrana festival. Superb footballing lesson from the Azulgrana team who dismantled an impotent Madrid with five goals and claimed the league leadership."

El Mundo added on their front page: "Barcelona humiliate Real Madrid once again."

Inter moving for Guardiola?

Inter Milan are ready to enter the race to secure the services of coveted Barcelona gaffer Pep Guardiola.

With current Inter incumbent Rafa Benitez struggling in the San Siro hotseat after a series of disappointing results, it is believed that the European champions are also keeping tabs on Guardiola despite Inter president Massimo Moratti insisting that he will not fire Benitez.

Inter's desire to hand the coaching reins to Guardiola has intensified especially after they way he guided his side to an incredible 5-0 thumping against Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.

According to Il Corriere dello Sport, it was even reported that Inter failed in an unsuccessful attempt to land Guardiola last season when Mourinho was pondering an offer from Madrid.

In the end, Guardiola penned a new deal until 2012 which coincided with the arrival of new Barcelona president Sandro Rosell.

Nevertheless, Inter patron Moratti is monitoring movements at Barcelona and is armed with a lucrative deal for the Spaniard should Guardiola decide to quit the Nou Camp.

However, Chelsea are also waiting in the wings with Blues owner Roman Abramovich interested in luring Guardiola to Stamford Bridge in the wake of recent developments surrounding Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Guardiola: I admire my players

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was full of praise for his side after their 5-0 demolition of Real Sociedad on Sunday.

The Catalan side have now won their last two home games by the same scoreline.

This time Lionel Messi was again to the fore with a brace on the night while David Villa kept his goalscoring run going with another goal.

Andres Iniesta and Bojan Krkic were the other goalscorers for Barca, who regained top-spot in the La Liga after Real Madrid leapfrogged them for two hours following their 3-1 win over Real Zaragoza.

Speaking after the match, Guardiola insists it is a privilege to be the coach of the Barcelona and praised his team for their consistency.

"The advantage I have over everyone else is that I get to see the team every day in training and how they are working. It is a privilege to work with them," Guardiola told Marca after the game.

"This is the year that we're playing better than ever. Also we improve with the more time we have together. I admire these guys for the consistency they are showing."

Guardiola's side take on local rivals Espanyol next Sunday.

Have Barcelona sold their soul?

Barcelona fans are conflicted after hearing about the Qatar Foundation's sponsorship deal with their club.

The La Liga giants made history by accepting a €150m deal with the Middle Eastern foundation, as Barcelona have never had a shirt sponsor in their club's history.

The Qatar Foundation's logo will replace Unicef's for the next five years, starting in 2011, and the deal will mean that Barcelona will pocket around €10m a season more than rivals Real Madrid, who are sponsored by online betting company Bwin.

While the sponsorship will be officially presented by the club's president, Sandro Rosell, early next week, not have have been happy about the club caving in from their principles and associating themselves with the Qatar Foundation. Barcelona's vice-president Javier Faus has been hard at work to try to defend the board's recent actions.

"It is not a commercial brand but a non-government organisation in a country that wants publicity through education and sport, and, as everybody knows, through organising the 2022 World Cup," said Faus, in quotes reported in the Daily Mail.

Faus also admitted that talks were ongoing for some time, and that the Barcelona board were forced to break with tradition as a result of their debts.

He said: "Barcelona needs the money to face up to our €420m debt."

Critics have argued that the club's choice of sponser will help validate the Qatar's restrictions of individual freedom's.

When asked about Qatar's ruling powers, Faus said: "It is an absolute monarchy but it is flexible and tolerant."

Barcelona expect to receive $20m for the second half of the current season and $40m for each of the following five seasons, plus upward of $7m in bonuses for any titles won.

Barcelona finally cash in on sponsor

Barcelona announced the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deal in football history - worth 150 million euros.

The Catalan giants have previously refused shirt deals and, for the past five years, have instead paid international children's charity Unicef to carry their logo.

But the club's current sizeable debt means they are no longer in a position to turn down valuable income and their link-up with the Qatar Foundation, worth 30 million euros a year from next season through to 2016, could free up some funds for coach Pep Guardiola.

Senior club executives said the deal was a "remarkable milestone because it represents a record level of revenue for a football club and has more value still in the current economic climate".

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organisation which has projects focusing on education, scientific research and community development. It was founded by Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in 1995.

Its involvement in Barcelona is another sign of Qatar's growing commitment to football and follows on from FIFA's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to the emirate.

"With this agreement, Barca have become the undisputed brand leader in world football, far ahead of international rivals," said one of Barca's vice-presidents Javier Faus.

Espanyol vs Barcelona Preview

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes sees tomorrow's Catalan derby at Espanyol as one of the most difficult games of the season.

Barca have won all of their away matches in the Primera Division so far this term and have dropped only five points in total, but Espanyol boast a flawless record at Cornella this season and usually do well in this fixture.

"It's one of the most difficult and complicated games of the year, just as it has been in previous years," the goalkeeper said.

"We expect it to be very intense and very difficult, but we are very motivated and we are going there to win."

Espanyol and Barcelona drew 0-0 in last season's meeting at Cornella - the first between the two sides at the former's new stadium.

That result gave Real Madrid hope of catching their biggest rivals in the run-in, but Barca held on to win a second consecutive Primera Division title under Pep Guardiola.

Espanyol were fighting to stay up at the time, but Mauricio Pochettino's side are currently in fourth place following a hugely impressive start to the current campaign.

"They have improved in a lot of things," Valdes said.

"They pressure really well, and they improved a lot tactically.

"They play good football - much better than before."

And Valdes says the hostile atmosphere at Cornella will represent an extra motivation for the Barcelona players.

"I'm expecting an intense atmosphere - it will be a special game to play in," he said.

"When you go to an intense ground, it's an extra motivation to keep going and to win the game."

With 15 rounds of the Primera Division completed, Barca lead the table with 40 points, two more than fierce rivals Madrid.

Meanwhile, Guardiola's side are set to face Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League after today's draw in Switzerland.

Barca beat Arsene Wenger's side 6-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of last season's competition, with Lionel Messi memorably scoring four in the second leg at the Nou Camp.

Messi was spotted Christmas shopping in Milan with his family earlier this week, but was back training with Barca ahead of tomorrow's game against Espanyol.

The Argentina winger, who scored a late penalty to win the last ever meeting between the two sides at Espanyol's former ground Montjuic two years ago, has scored an incredible 17 goals in the league this term.

Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino says his compatriot is the best player in the world and believes Barca to be one of the greatest sides in the history of the game.

"Messi is the best at the moment, just like (Diego) Maradona and Pele were in their day," he said.

"And Barca, statistically, are one of the best two or three teams in history - perhaps even the best."

Ivan de la Pena, Ernesto Galan and Felipe Mattioni remain sidelined for Espanyol, while Manu Molina and Javi Lopez are doubtful.

Gabi Milito and Jeffren Suarez are both doubtful for Barca.

Espanyol 1-5 Barcelona

Pedro and David Villa struck a brace apiece as Barcelona brushed aside Espanyol in the Catalan derby at Cornella.

Pedro and Xavi gave Pep Guardiola's side a healthy lead at half-time, before the Tenerife-born winger struck again in the second half.

Dani Osvaldo got one back for Espanyol after that, but Barca always looked in control and David Villa added two more late on for the visitors.

The champions are now five points ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who host Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Barca could only draw the corresponding fixture last season and usually face a tough game against their city rivals, who were up in fourth place at the start of the day.

Espanyol had won all of their seven Primera Division matches at Cornella prior to this one, but Barca came into the 16th-round clash with a perfect away record and Mauricio Pochettino's side knew they were facing their toughest test yet at home.

Osvaldo drilled a low, angled shot towards goal from the right-hand side after just two minutes, but Victor Valdes gathered comfortably and Barca soon began to take control of possession.

Lionel Messi saw his first effort saved by Carlos Kameni after nine minutes and should have given Pep Guardiola's side the lead moments later, when he inexplicably scooped a right-footed effort over the bar from the edge of the box with the goal at his mercy.

In other matches, that may have been a costly miss, but it seemed unlikely in this case as Barca continued to press forward with intent and quality.

Sergio Busquets found Pedro with a long pass, the Spain winger laid the ball off to Messi, got it back and slid a low shot past Kameni and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Luis Garcia saw a free-kick comfortably saved by Victor Valdes at the other end and Jose Callejon was denied by a brilliant stop from the Barca keeper 10 minutes before the break.

By that time, though, Espanyol were already two down.

Barca's second had come five minutes earlier, when Xavi drilled a powerful shot past Kameni from a tight angle at the second time of asking, after his first effort had been blocked.

David Villa then shot over the bar before the break as Barca sought a third.

Pedro fired a speculative effort over the top from distance after 56 minutes, but did extend the visitors' lead shortly afterwards.

Messi surged forward form the centre circle, played a one-two with Pedro and tested Kameni with a low shot from the edge of the box, which the Cameroon keeper could only push into the path of the winger, who scored his second of the night from a tight angle.

At the other end, Osvaldo then found space on the right three minutes later and beat Valdes with a low, angled drive to give the home side hope.

The goal lifted Espanyol and Osvaldo headed off target with 20 minutes left, before side-footing weakly with only Valdes to beat moments later.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed, though, as Villa made it 4-1 with 15 minutes left.

Messi's neat through-ball left the Spain striker one-on-one with Kameni and the former Valencia man slid a low shot past the African to put the win beyond doubt.

Villa then made it 5-1 with another low finish six minutes from time as Barca racked up five goals away to their city rivals for the first time ever.

While Guardiola's side move provisionally five points clear at the top, Espanyol stay fourth for now, but Pochettino's side can be caught by Valencia on Sunday.

Guardiola praises Barca display

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was happy with his side after their 5-1 demolition of Espanyol.

Barca traditionally struggle in this fixture and were held to a goalless draw at Cornella last season, but there was only one winner this time around.

Pedro and David Villa both scored twice, with Xavi netting the other as Barca served up another breathtaking exhibition of attacking football against an Espanyol side that came into this match with a perfect home record.

"It's the hardest away game of the season and we passed with distinction," the Barca coach said after the match.

"We beat a very good team, not just a rival from our city, and that's important.

"Nobody was creating chances against them at home and they had only let in two (here), but we were able to deactivate them - it's a great night for us."

Guardiola was particularly pleased with Pedro, who scored Barca's first and third goals and was a threat throughout the match as he switched positions with Lionel Messi in the Catalans' dynamic forward line.

"His performance speaks for itself," he said.

"The solidarity and intensity of all of the players up front is very important and it helps the midfielders a lot - this team doesn't cease to surprise me and that leaves me very relaxed about the future."

That future looks extremely bright, with many pundits and experts already talking of this Barcelona side as the best team in history.

"This dynamic depends only on us," Guardiola said.

"We have to be able to keep motivating the players, but a time arrives when things come to an end.

"The secret is that the footballers are very good and all of the success they have achieved strengthens their state of mind."

Barcelona's players were roundly jeered by the Espanyol faithful, with one exception - Andres Iniesta.

Iniesta paid tribute to former Espanyol captain Dani Jarque - who died from a heart attack in the summer of 2009 - in the World Cup final, when he peeled off his Spain shirt to reveal a message to his departed friend after scoring the winner against Holland.

That gesture went down well with the Espanyol fans at the time and the midfielder was cheered prior to the match, before receiving a rapturous standing ovation as he was substituted late on.

"Andres deserves it," Guardiola said.

"But I would like to congratulate the fans at Cornella-El Prat for the gesture.

"We would like Andres to be the reflection of everything that this club represents."

Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino also applauded the fans' gesture.

"The fans behaved wonderfully with Andres and that says a lot about Espanyol's support," he said.

And Pochettino claimed not to be too disheartened after losing out to a Barca side he said was close to perfection.

"We are on a good run and we can't let this defeat break that," he said.

"I am pleased with the attitude of my players, but Barca are practically touching perfection and what we did today was not good enough.

"They are a great rival, both collectively and individually."

Barca are now five points ahead of Real Madrid - who play Sevilla tomorrow - at the top of the table, while Espanyol drop to fifth after 16 rounds of the championship.

Barca plan Torres, Fabregas swoop

Barcelona are plotting an audacious £85million swoop for Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres next summer.

The Catalan club have recently secured a lucrative sponsorship deal with Qatar Foundation worth a whooping £125million over five years.

And according to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the club's ambitions have expanded due to their boost in spending power and will now seek to prise both their countrymen to the Nou Camp.

Fabregas was close to a move back to Barcelona in the summer but the transfer saga ended with the midfielder committing his future with Arsenal.

Whereas Torres is growing increasingly frustrated with life at Liverpool after a dismay start to the season and a lack of Champions League football.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in bringing him to the Bernabeu but it is unlikely the striker will make a move there given his connections with rivals Atletico Madrid.

Thus a reunion with his fellow Spain team-mates such as David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Carles Puyol - just to name a few - could prove too tempting for Torres.

And the same could be said of Fabregas.

Spanish Copa del Rey Tuesday Review

Barcelona were held to a goalless draw at home by Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie.

The only one of the three cup ties played in Spain to produce any goals was the clash between Segunda Division Cordoba and top-flight Deportivo La Coruna, who shared a 1-1 draw.

The match at the Nou Camp pitted the two most successful sides in Copa del Rey history against each other - Barca having 25 crowns to Athletic's 23 - and was a repeat of the 2009 final which the Catalan side won 4-1.

Barca went into the encounter averaging more than four goals a game in winning their last 10 successive fixtures, but they could not find even one breakthrough tonight despite playing most of their star names, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro Rodriguez starting and David Villa and Lionel Messi appearing as second-half substitutes.

Pep Guardiola's men dominated but Bojan Krkic and Iniesta were both denied by Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz in the first half before Xavi volleyed a decent opening after the break and Villa had an effort ruled out.

Gerard Pique then had a great chance right at the end to earn his side a narrow advantage to take to San Mames when Messi picked out his run into the box, but the Spain international volleyed wide with his less-favoured left foot and Athletic were able to congratulate themselves on a job well done.

Further down the east coast of Spain at the Mestalla, hosts Valencia will also feel they should have built some sort of lead for their return leg against neighbours Villarreal.

Unai Emery's side had the Yellow Submarine on the back foot for much of the game but Aritz Aduriz, Pablo Hernandez, Juan Manuel Mata - who hit the post - and Ricardo Costa failed to make the most of the chances that fell their way.

Villarreal, who are five points and one spot above fourth-placed Valencia in La Liga, had a few opportunities of their own, including a decent opening late on for Nilmar, who was denied by home custodian Vicente Guaita when clean through.

In the other match, Cordoba - one of only two remaining non-top flight club left along with Real Betis - played out a 1-1 draw with Depor in testing conditions at a rain-drenched Estadio El Arcangel.

Depor took the lead with a 17th-minute penalty when Riki, who was adjudged to have been brought down by Cordoba goalkeeper Alberto Garcia, sent the home custodian the wrong way from the spot.

However, Cordoba drew level 20 minutes from time when Depor goalkeeper Manu made a mess of trying to punch clear a Jonathan Sesma free-kick, allowing Pepe Diaz to tap the ball in at the near post.

The remaining five last-16 first legs will be played tomorrow night, with the return legs scheduled for the first week of next year.

Guardiola: Barca lacked finesse

Barcelona tactician Pep Guardiola is remaining upbeat despite his side’s 0-0 goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey.

Despite bossing proceedings in their quarter-final fixture at the Nou Camp, Barca failed to convert a single chance against the visitors, ensuring a nervy second leg assignment against Bilbao at San Mames on January 5.

"We dominated, but we lacked a little depth and finesse at the end," Guardiola told Marca post-match.

"The return leg will be a difficult task because it will be the first match of the New year.

"We will go to San Mames and see if we meet the expectations and progress to the quarter-finals.

"During the match, we played against a lot of formations, and we have been able to defeat them by attacking. But we must be prepared to overcome them.

"I am disappointed because the result is what it is. If we had been able to score, things would have been different. We tried attacking more in the second-half but with a lot of people defending, it was never easy for us.

"The match ended in a draw because we played against a great team. They played a game knowing there is a second leg whilst we were looking for a positive result.

"For the return leg, we must win or draw by playing a beautiful game. We will have to take the game to our opponents," he concluded.

Barcelona and Bilbao are two of the most successful outfits in Copa del Rey history, with Barca having won it 25 times while Bilbao have been crowned an impressive 23 times.

Barca want Pep to emulate Fergie

Sandro Rosell says Pep Guardiola can carve a legacy at Barcelona, much like Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

In a little over two years as manager of the club, Guardiola has won everything club football has to offer and Rosell cannot find any fault in his or the team's performance.

In comments quoted by AS, he said:"I would give the team 10 out of 10, because they cannot perform any higher. Guardiola knows that he has an offer on the table. He knows that he can renew for two years plus another three.

"I like things a lot. I do not think that there are any problems, I would like to see him become like Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and Franz Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich. I can see him being president of this club," continued Rosell.

The president then addressed the Dani Alves situation. The fiery right-back's contract at the Nou Camp will expire in June 2012 but a new deal has not yet been agreed.

Alves has not ruled out a move away from Barcelona and Rosell can understand why.

"Alves is doing what he needs to do to defend himself, and so are Barca. I cannot imagine the club without Alves, but no one is above the club. We will continue with or without him."