Lionel Messi hits 4, Cristiano Ronaldo passes 300 goals

Lionel Messi hit four goals for leaders Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick for Real Madrid as the two teams warmed up for their midweek King's Cup semi-final clash with crushing La Liga victories on Sunday.

Messi took his league tally in 21 games this season to an incredible 33, and to 202 overall, in Barca's 5-1 win at home to 10-man Osasuna while Ronaldo passed 300 club goals and now has 21 this term as Real thumped Getafe 4-0 at the Bernabeu.



Barca's return to winning ways after last weekend's 3-2 reverse at Real Sociedad, their first defeat of the campaign, put them 11 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid who lost 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao.



Champions Real, whose hopes of a second straight title are effectively over with 17 matches to go, are four points behind Atletico in third spot. Ronaldo struck three times in 10 minutes, the first his 300th club goal.Mourinho, who turned 50 on Saturday, left several key players out of his starting lineup including Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira while goalkeeper Casillas was missing after breaking a bone in his hand in midweek.

The Portuguese, Cristiano Ronaldo who was substituted with 15 minutes left after a knock to his right ankle, scored five for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United and now has 179 for Real thanks to his 20th career treble.



Malaga reclaimed Spain's fourth Champions League qualification berth from Andalusian rivals Real Betis when the Qatar-owned club survived the second-half dismissal of Martin Demichelis to win 3-2 at struggling Real Mallorca.



Malaga have 35 points, eight behind Real, and lead Betis on goal difference. Rayo Vallecano continued to defy their modest status and are a point behind Betis in sixth place after they beat the Seville-based side 3-0.



World Player of the Year Messi became the first player to score on 11 successive La Liga matchdays and, at 25, the youngest to reach 200 league goals.



He has scored more goals on his own than all the other La Liga teams apart from Real and Atletico and is on course to smash the record for the most in a season (50) he set last term.

Messi grabs four in Osasuna rout

Lionel Messi celebrated another goalscoring milestone with four more goals as Barcelona demolished 10-man Osasuna at the Nou Camp. The Argentinian went one better than great rival Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick earlier in the day as he was part of a Barça side who utterly outclassed Osasuna.

His second was his 200th goal in La Liga, another landmark in his ever-growing list of achievements. The fourth brought his total in the league this term to 33 and he is on track to match last season's barely-believable 50 strikes, with 17 more goals needed from as many games.



Pedro was also on target for the Catalans and even though Raoul Loe briefly levelled for Osasuna, Alejandro Arribas' sending-off after 27 minutes made their task an almost impossible one. The win preserved Barça's convincing lead over at the top of the Primera Division, while Osasuna remained in relegation danger.



Barcelona started quickly and Thiago Alcantara brought a fine parry out of goalkeeper Andres Fernandez after only four minutes. They went ahead seven minutes later through a predictable source. Xavi's exquisite pass from the left played in Messi and he rounded Fernandez to score.



The visitors levelled in the 23rd minute as a clearance fell to Loe on the edge of the area and his low shot with the outside of his left foot found the bottom-left corner, with keeper Victor Valdes perhaps unsighted. Parity lasted just five minutes, though.



Arribas conceded a penalty with a handball in the area and was sent off for a second yellow card before Messi stepped up to score low into the corner. And this time there was no way back for Osasuna.

Messi was denied a hat-trick by a post as his header from a Dani Alves cross came back off the frame of the goal, but Pedro had better luck five minutes before the break. Again Alves was the provider and his ball in from the right was swept home by the Spain forward.



But this match, yet again, was about Messi and he got his hat-trick in the 56th minute, running on to a pass from David Villa down the left of the area, rounding Fernandez and sliding the ball into the empty net.



Three became four two minutes later. Villa's pull-back from the left byline picked out Claro Adriano in the area and his pass across goal was flicked in by Messi.



The forward has scored five in one match before, against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League, but this time Osasuna, who defended desperately to the end, were spared further embarrassment.




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Zlatan: ‘Messi too short, Ronaldo useless’

Swedish striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has lashed out at two of the world’s best footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.



­“Messi may have four Golden Balls, but I don’t have to get on a box to buy a chocolate bar in a vending machine,” Ibrahimovic is cited as saying by Argentinean Canchallena website. "As for Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s a privileged spectator, who only watches how Messi receives all his awards. He doesn’t deserve to be in the top three, there are at least ten people better than him."



1.69-meter tall Messi won his fourth straight Golden Ball award (given to the best footballer on the planet) on January 7.



The Argentinean’s Barcelona teammate, Andres Iniesta, and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo finished as the runners up for the prestigious prize.



Ibrahimovic, who didn’t make it into the top three this year, is well known for his temper and controversial statements.



The PSG star also called Man City player Mario Balotelli a “mediocre” player and made some revealing statements about former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, in his autobiography.

Messi apologises to Ronaldo for Ballon d'Or speech

After coming in for heavy criticism Lionel Messi has admitted he regrets his Ballon d’Or speech after receiving the award for a record fourth time in as many years last week.



The Barcelona star came under-fire from some commentators after his acceptance speech snubbed long-term rival and fellow nominee Cristiano Ronaldo, while so openly and enthusiastically congratulating team-mate Andres Iniesta, who was also on the three-man shortlist.



Aside from some being angered by Messi’s omission of Ronaldo from his speech, there were also reports that several media figures were unimpressed with Messi’s behaviour in the pre-gala media conference, claiming he was disinterested and spent most of the time looking at his mobile phone.



Seeing the error of his ways, Messi has since apologised for this incident, admitting that he should have acknowledged Ronaldo.



“I am sorry about that. I didn’t say everything I wanted to," he told France Football.



"I hadn’t prepared anything and didn’t have any notes, but I didn’t want to forget anyone Especially not Tito or Abidal. I should have congratulated Cristiano, too.



"But that’s what always happens to me, the emotion overwhelms me and I lose my train of thought.”



Despite the 'snub', Ronaldo has insisted there is no bad blood between the the two players. “There is no rivalry as to who wins more. Of course we are here to win but there’s no rivalry," he said.



“I am calm about it –it’s not a matter of life and death. Life goes on. I don’t feel frustrated."

Messi wins fourth Ballon

Barcelona's Lionel Messi has become the first player to scoop the Ballon d'Or award on four occasions, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.

The 25-year-old Argentina skipper was handed the prestigious FIFA prize in Zurich for a stunning 2012 in which he surpassed Gerd Muller's 40-year-old record with 91 goals in a calendar year over 69 matches.

Only France's Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian Ronaldo have had their hands on the trophy three times. It was also the sixth consecutive year that Messi had made the final three - voted by selected international journalists, football coaches and captains.

An emotional Messi, handed the trophy by Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro, said: "To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words.

"I would like to recognise my other colleagues from Barcelona; Andres it has been great to train and play alongside you. I would also like to recognise my friends in the Argentina team, everyone that has worked with me, coaches and staff and my family and friends. Also my wife and son.

"I'm more interested in team awards than I am about what I might win individually. There have been years where we won more titles that have been better."

The women's World Player of the Year award went to American Abby Wambach, beating off Brazilian Marta and international team-mate Alex Morgan.

Vicente del Bosque, who guided Spain to the 2012 European Championship two years after winning the World Cup, was voted men's coach of the year, while Pia Sundhage won the women's coach trophy after leading Wambach and the American team to gold at last summer's London Olympics.

But it was Messi, along with his stylish spotty jacket, who stole the show. His tricks dazzled the world's defences throughout last year as the football records tumbled.

Records

In March he became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match as Barcelona crushed Bayer Leverkusen 7-1.

The club's all-time scoring record was then broken with a hat-trick against Granada, and 14 goals in the 2011-12 Champions League broke the mark he had shared with former Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

In May, Messi beat former Bayern Munich striker Mueller's record of 67 goals in a single European season, eventually finishing the campaign with 73.

Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations Leo, forth time as the best player of #ballondor, you deserve it. And also to @andresiniesta8, huge to be there."

Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero tweeted: "Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi."

The FIFA Player of the Year award merged in 2010 with France Football's Golden Ball, given to the European player of the year.

The Golden Ball, or Ballon d'Or, was won three times by France's Michel Platini and Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten of the Netherlands.

The 2012 FIFA-FIFPro world all-star team, voted by more than 50,000 players, included:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid and Spain)

Defender: Daniel Alves (Barcelona and Brazil)

Defender: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain)

Defender: Gerard Pique (Barcelona and Spain)

Defender: Marcelo (Real Madrid and Brazil)

Midfielder: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid and Spain)

Midfielder: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain)

Midfielder: Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona and Spain)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)

Forward: Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid and Colombia)

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)

New Barca deal for Messi

Lionel Messi has agreed a new contract to stay at Barcelona until 2018, while Carles Puyol and Xavi have also agreed new deals until 2016.



Messi's current deal runs until June 2016 and the new agreement will keep him at the Nou Camp beyond his 31st birthday.



The forward has enjoyed an extraordinary year, even by his own remarkable standards, netting his 89th and 90th goals of 2012 at the weekend.



The 25-year-old had already surpassed Gerd Muller's 40-year-old record of 85 goals in a calendar year.



He is also in contention to claim a fourth successive FIFA Ballon d'Or crown, being named on a three-man shortlist alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and team-mate Andres Iniesta.

Messi relieved after injury scare

Lionel Messi says the knee injury picked up against Benfica on Wednesday night is not as serious as first feared, and he could be back in action for Sunday night's La Liga game at Real Betis.



Messi was stretchered off following a challenge with Benfica goalkeeper Artur during the 0-0 Champions League draw at the Camp Nou, with tests carried out immediately after the game discovering bruising on the outside of his left knee.



Concerns among Blaugrana fans - and hopes among Real Madrid supporters - that the Argentine might face some weeks on the sidelines were eased on Thursday morning as he worked out in the gym at Barca's Ciutat Esportiva.



He was then also able to attend a post-training commercial event as scheduled, where he told the assembled reporters he had feared a more serious injury as he was leaving the pitch.



"I feel fine, luckily it was only a bang," Messi said. "At the time I thought the worst because of the pain. When they examined me and discarded the idea of a serious injury, I was calmer."



Messi, a substitute in the game, said the collision with Artur had been painful, but he had still tried to complete the move and score.



"I thought it would be the last ball I would touch for a long time," he said. "Despite the pain I tried to play on and hit (the ball)."



Barca fans need not worry should he not make it back in time for Sunday's game at the Estadio Benito Villamarin and miss a first game through injury since sitting out two matches in September 2010 with an ankle knock, Messi said.



"I do not know if I will be there on Sunday, it depends on how it improves," he said. "The team will go on the same with or without me. We have plenty of other players."



Messi dismissed a suggestion that, with Barca already sure to top the group, he had only played to try and score the two goals he needs to pass Gerd Muller's calendar-year record total of 85.



"When we go out on the pitch we always have the risk that something might happen," he said. "Muller's record is not an obsession for me. It would be nice to break it, because the record has been there for many years. If it happens then good, but there is no problem if not."







There was other good fitness news for Barca with Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba returning to normal training with the group after minor niggles earlier in the week, and Alexis Sanchez, Marc Bartra and Dani Alves all stepping up their recoveries from injuries which have seen them miss recent games.

Barca's players have Friday off, but are back at the Camp Nou on Saturday morning, when Messi's knee will be evaluated and a decision taken on whether he travels with the squad to Sevilla on Sunday.

Messi will sit out next two training sessions

Lionel Messi will sit out Barcelona's next two training sessions after leaving the Nou Camp with his heart in its mouth on Wednesday night against Benfica.

Messi has 84 goals this calendar year - just one behind Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85 - and Barcelona will need him on Sunday having won only one of their last 10 visits to Betis' Benito Villarmarin stadium.



The Argentine has a bruised bone in his left knee after a collision with goalkeeper Artur and will stay in the gym while his team-mates prepare for Sunday's game against Betis.



Club doctor Richard Pruna will then decide, along with the player and his coach Tito Vilanova, if he can train normally on Saturday and then travel to Seville for Sunday night's match with fourth placed Betis.



The Nou Camp were calling for Messi just before the half time whistle of last night's draw with Benfica and Villanova gave in to their demands early in the second half only for the No 10 to go down holding the back of his knee five minutes from time.



Drama was heightened when the player was carted to the far corner of the ground, because the electronic car carrying his stretcher wouldn't fit down the tunnel, and whisked away for tests.



Messi suffered several long-term injuries at the start of his Barcelona career but has not broken down since March 2008 when he injured a thigh muscle against Celtic keeping him out for six weeks.



His four years under Pep Guardiola were almost injury-free with the then Barcelona coaching bringing in podiatrists and dieticians to help prevent injuries.



One of the doctors used by Guardiola Xavier Gasso was important in linking the player's frequent muscle injuries with his feet and remedying the situation by adusting the sole inserts in his boots.



Last night Barcelona fans feared the old problems had returned but a medical report issued at half-past midnight local time calmed those concerns.



The good news also got coach Vilanova off the hook with critics ready to blame him for bringing Messi on in what was a dead rubber game for Barca.



He said: 'I would not do anything differently. We had spoken before about the possibility of him playing for 30 minutes.





'He is a player who always wants to play, and not because he is about to break a record – something which everybody else is talking about but that he never mentions.

'If we were concerned about the record then I would have played him and all the other first team players from the start.'

Wenger thinks Messi should win Ballon d'Or

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not like the Ballon d'Or in principle but admits he would vote for Lionel Messi if the award was decided on 'class'.

Barcelona's Argentine superstar is the runaway favourite to collect the accolade for a fourth consecutive year when it is announced on 7th January after an astonishing 2012.



Messi earlier in November surpassed Pele's 75-goal record of goals for club and country in a calendar year and is now on 82 to leave him just behind former West Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85.



But Wenger, who has always believed in praising the team ethic over the individual, thinks other the contenders - Messi's Barcelona team-mate, Spain international Andres Iniesta, and long-term rival, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - would also deserve the Ballon d'Or.



The Arsenal boss said: "It's very difficult. For the class, Messi. He's scored 76 goals in one year. It looks just outrageous to me. Therefore it would be one thing to reward something exceptional.



"Ronaldo, has always been there and he deserves it as well. He won the Spanish championship.



"Iniesta won the European Championship with the national team and therefore, you could reward him.



"I'm not a big fan of these things. If you judge purely the class, you judge Messi.



"If you want the achievement of the year, you would choose Ronaldo and maybe Iniesta in second. That's how I see it."

Platini: "If Messi wins the Ballon d'Or, it's because he deserves it"

The Frenchman Michel Platini was awarded the Ballon d'Or on three consecutive occasions ('83, '84 and '85). Messi may out do him this season. "Records are there to be beaten. If he wins it again, it's because he deserves it. He's 25 years old and has every opportunity to leave his mark for all eternity," stated the UEFA president in an interview with 'France Football'.



Platini gave his personal view on French football and his national team. In his opinion, Zidane may manage the France team one day. "Someone with Zidane's presence can be a coach. Sometimes you talk to him and he helps put you on the right path. From experience, I know that it's not easy to be a manager without having done it before," he remarked.



However, the 'Bleu' bench is currently occupied by Didier Deschamps. "He was a brilliant player and he has had a great coaching career. He has every right to be the manager," assured Platini. He expressed less certainty with respect to the players who make up the team: "They need to decide if they're important. They're young. It's hard to tell just now."



Messi has also received the backing of the majority of players to have won the Ballon d'Or. 'France Football' asked 13 of them for their verdict. Seven opted for the Argentinean, three for Cristiano, one for Iniesta and Pirlo and two abstained. Messi's camp consists of Kopa, Luis Suárez, Keegan, Rummenigge, Van Basten, Sammer and Shevchenko. Rivera, Kaká and Beckenbauer opted for Madrid's Portuguese striker. Iniesta and Pirlo received a consolation vote from Cannavaro, whilst Di Stéfano and Figo preferred not to venture an opinion.

Messi back at top of AP rankings, Iniesta 3rd

Lionel Messi moved back to the top of the AP Global Soccer rankings, and Barcelona stayed No. 1 in the team poll after a 4-0 win over Levante in the Spanish league.



Messi earned 183 out of a possible 200 points from The Associated Press' panel of 20 global soccer journalists. Last week's winner, Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was second. Ibrahimovic topped the previous poll mainly for his four goals for Sweden against England.



Barcelona was voted the top club of the week after stretching its lead to three points over Atletico Madrid and 11 points over third-place Real Madrid.



Ibrahimovic had 124 points, while another Barcelona player, Andres Iniesta, moved into third place with 119.



"Two clinical finishes from Messi got Barca rolling towards a 4-0 win against Levante and followed his Champions League double against Spartak," panelist Will Tidey of the San Francisco-based Bleacher report said. "Gerd Mueller's record is just three goals away."



Mueller, a former Germany and Bayern Munich great, holds the record for most goals scored in a calendar year with 85.



The panel's two Italian voters, Paulo Condi of La Gazzetta Dello Sport and Aurelio Capaldi of Rai Sport, paid tribute to Iniesta.



"He made things easy for Barca as he twice set up Messi, scored a goal and allowed Cesc Fabregas to kill the game," Capaldi said.



Borussia Dortmund, which is giving Bayern Munich a fight in the Bundesliga, had two players in the top five. Striker Robert Lewandowski was fourth with 83 points and midfielder Mario Goetze, who played a key role in Lewandowski's two goals in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Mainz, was fifth with 63.



"Mario Goetze is currently in superb form," Christian Schaetzle of website derfussballblogger.de said. "He was the outstanding player in both Dortmund's Champions League win in Amsterdam and in his side's important away win at Mainz in the Bundesliga, involved in nearly all the goals."



Several panelists thought Philippe Mexes' overhead kick in AC Milan's 3-1 Champions League victory at Anderlecht was even better than Ibrahimovic's dramatic goal against England a week earlier.



"His goal was more beautiful than that of Ibrahimovic, because he controlled the ball first with the chest and there was a goalkeeper between the posts," Francois Colin of Belgium's De Standaard said. "Most of all this was a game that mattered."



For Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News, it was a "prettier goal in many ways than the bicycle kick from Ibrahimovic."



Mexes' efforts brought him into sixth place.



With Barcelona seemingly glued into the top team position, Bayern and Dortmund were second and third in the AP poll, with no English team in the top five for the first time since the survey began.



Barcelona had 176 points, well ahead of Bayern with 129 and Dortmund with 105. Real Madrid, which lost to Real Betis on Sunday, plunged to 24th.



"There's a team in Europe nobody expected anything from before this Champions League season," Schaetzle said. "Borussia Dortmund won Group D, the Group of Death (with opponents Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax), with its phenomenal 4-1 win at Ajax to reach the Round of 16."



AC Milan was rewarded for its 1-0 victory over Serie A leader Juventus and the victory over Anderlecht by being voted into fourth by the panel, which gives 10 points to their top choice down to one point for 10th.



Unglamorous English team West Bromwich Albion, which has slipped almost unnoticed into third place in the Premier League, was in the top 10 for the second straight week, coming in eighth, a few points behind Manchester United.



Newly-crowned J-League champion Sanfrecce Hiroshima was voted into 10th after clinching the title with one round still to play.



John Duerden, of website www.kickoffasia.com, paid tribute to J-League top scorer Hisato Sato.



"He has had his critics over the years but his goals have given a first title to Hiroshima," Duerden said.

Mancini - Balotelli can be as good as Cristiano or Messi

Roberto Mancini claims Manchester City's Mario Balotelli can be as good as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi - if he could only keep his focus.

City boss Mancini left Balotelli out of the squad to face Tottenham earlier this month because of what he felt was a poor attitude in training.



That sparked fresh speculation the 22-year-old could leave City but Mancini insisted he has no intention of selling his former Inter Milan protege and has now urged him to focus fully on his football.



The rewards for that, he believes, could elevate him to the level of the world's best players.



Mancini said: "Mario, outside the pitch, is a fantastic guy.





"Sometimes he doesn't understand which is your job, and how his job is important for his life, but I hope for him that he can understand this quickly.



"Now he is 22 but life can go quickly and I hope he can improve everything because as a player he could be like Cristiano and Messi, if he understands that to be like this you should work hard, your mind should be always on your job, not on the other things that are not important. I am very sorry for him for this.



"He has everything to be one of the best players in the world."



Balotelli was spotted in a nightclub in the early hours of the morning prior to the November 11 Spurs game, although no curfew was broken as Mancini had already informed him he would not be playing.



Mancini has remained fiercely loyal to Balotelli throughout his near two-and-a-half years at City despite a number of controversial incidents on and off the field.



The 47-year-old hopes he can oversee Balotelli's development into the player he believes he should be.



Mancini added of his fellow Italian: "It is not too easy to work with him every day because if you are a manager, you should manage 22 players.



"This is difficult sometimes but I hope he can change his mind."

Penalty taker specialist 

A back injury sustained on recent international duty prevented Balotelli from returning to the side in Saturday's 5-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa.



He remains doubtful for Wednesday Champions League clash against Ronaldo's Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium but has trained.



Mancini said: "Yesterday he trained with the physio and tomorrow and today he will train with the team and we will see if he can play."

International round-up

Bafetimbi Gomis's second-half winner helped France clinch a 2-1 friendly victory against hosts Italy.

Two other European heavyweights, Netherlands and Germany, went head-to-head, but nothing could separate the bitter rivals in a goalless stalemate.

Montenegro moved top of England's World Cup qualifying group with a comfortable 3-0 victory against minnows San Marino.

And former England boss Fabio Capello watched his Russia side draw 2-2 against visitors USA in a friendly.

French end It

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli hit the crossbar for Italy with a long-range shot in the 10th minute before highly rated AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawi, who has scored eight Serie A goals this term, transferred his impressive form to the international stage by netting the opener in Parma.

The Azzurri's lead lasted barely two minutes, though, as Mathieu Vabuena equalised for France before Gomis converted Patrice Evra's pass.

Both Netherlands and Germany were missing key players for their clash in Amsterdam - and it resulted in a tame match with few chances.

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus could have snatched an injury-time winner for the Germans, but blasted his shot over the bar.

Elsad Zverotic's second-half strike sealed Montenegro's win againstSan Marino after Andrija Delibasic netted a first-half brace.

Montenegro have earned 10 points from four Group H games, with second-placed England on eight after four matches.



Capello, who took over as Russia boss in the summer, extended his unbeaten run at the helm to six matches with the draw againstUSA.

Fedor Smolov and Roman Shirokov netted for the home side, but their strikes were cancelled out by American pair Michael Bradley and Mikkel Deskerud.

Argentina fielded Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria in their trip toSaudi Arabia - but the South Americans were still unable to break down their hosts in a goalless stalemate.

The match saw Messi reunited with Saudi boss Frank Rijkaard - the man who gave him his break in the Barcelona first team.

World and European champions Spain thrashed Panama 5-1 after goals from Pedro (2), David Villa, Sergio Ramos and Markel Susaeta.


Elsewhere, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez netted Uruguay's third as they won 3-1 in Poland, while ex-Chelsea talisman Didier Drogba scored inIvory Coast's 3-0 win against hosts Austria.

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke put Belgium ahead in Romania,before the hosts turned the game around to win 2-1.

Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner, currently on loan at Juventus, putDenmark ahead from the spot in their 1-1 draw again

Messi delighted by La Liga honour

Lionel Messi said he was proud after his peers voted him La Liga's best player for the fourth successive season.

The 2011-12 Premios LFP winners, voted for by players and coaches at each Spanish club, were announced in Madrid on Tuesday.



Messi was named as best player and best forward, with his Barcelona clubmates Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol picking up the prizes for best attacking midfielder and fair play. Former Barca boss Josep Guardiola was again named best coach.



Real Madrid were also honoured, with Iker Casillas named best goalkeeper, Sergio Ramos best defender and Xabi Alonso best holding midfielder, while Malaga's Isco, 20, was chosen as the revelation of the season.



Messi, whose 50 goals saw him pip Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo to take the overall best player award, said he was grateful to those who had voted for him.



"I want to thank the coaches who voted for me as best forward and my fellow players who made me the best player," the Argentine said. "It gives me a lot of pride, excitement and joy."



Madrid captain Casillas was named ahead of Barca's Victor Valdes and Real Zaragoza's Roberto in the goalkeeper category.



"I want to thank the coaches who thought of me as the best keeper last season," Casillas said. "I am happy with this recognition and hope to win again next year, which would be a third time for me."



Iniesta saw off Santi Cazorla (now of Arsenal, but then of Malaga) and Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid) to win his third attacking midfielder award.



"This is something very special, because your own work has been recognised and that makes you very happy," he said. "I hope I will have more opportunities to be back here in the coming years, because that would say I am still growing as a player. That is what I am most concerned about."



Benat Etxeberria, of Real Betis, and Barca's Sergio Busquets were runners-up to Alonso in the holding midfielder category. "I am proud to be honoured with this prize in a league as competitive as the Liga BBVA," Alonso said.



"Obviously this is the fruit of the league title won last year by all of [Madrid's] team. I am very happy."



Prizes for last season's Segunda Division were also announced, with 2011-12 champions Deportivo picking up awards for best coach (Jose Luis Oltra), player (Juan Carlos Valeron), goalkeeper (Dani Aranzubia) and attacking midfielder (Andres Guardado, now at Valencia).



Depor's fellow Galicians Celta Vigo were also recognised with awards for best defensive midfielder (Alex Lopez) and forward (Iago Aspas).



Barcelona's Marc Bartra won La Segunda's best defender award for his performances with Barca B last season, while Javi Hervas, who has since joined Sevilla from Cordoba, was named the revelation of the campaign.



The best player and best coach award are chosen by all footballers who played in Spain's first and second tiers last season, while the best in each position are chosen by all coaches using criteria laid down by the LFP's technical committee. Official supporters' associations choose the fair play awards.