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Gerard Piqué silences the chants after Espanyol almost clip Barça's wings | Sid Lowe

After a tense buildup to the Catalan derby, Espanyol came close to repeating their Copa del Rey heroics until a late interventionThey were seven minutes away when Gerard Piqué appeared before them, a finger on his lips in the rain. “It was symbolic,” he said, and he made sure of that. Espanyol, the only team to have beaten Barcelona in almost six months, were leading again. For the second time in 18 days Barcelona had taken the short bus ride to the RCDE Stadium and, for the second time in 18 days, they were losing 1-0. After Barcelona’s defeat to Espanyol in the Copa del Rey, Gerard Moreno’s header left them on the verge of a league loss after 21...

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Messi Christmas, the seasonal gift from Barcelona with a dusting of nutmeg | Barney Ronay

His amazing dribble against Espanyol was my moment of the week, festive season and possibly year, conveying a feeling of goodwill and childish wonderOne of the most remarkable things about Christmas is its basic reach, the layers of ritual and habit, the way this very special time of year manages to smear itself like a basting of goose fat across every one of the vital senses. Overwhelmed by these ruddy-cheeked riches, it can be a tricky choice. We all have our preferences. But in the end it’s really just a personal choice which part of Christmas you hate the most.The list is endless. Motorway gridlock. Men who use the word Chrimbo. Adorable bright-eyed, husky-voiced, bowl-headed American children in family movies...

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