It’s rare to see highlights from a Barcelona match in which the Catalan club’s players don’t hog the spotlight. But when Levante’s Christian Stuani was subbed on for Levante, he decided to give Barca a taste of its own medicine. Despite Stuani’s heroics, Barcelona held on for a 2-1 victory. New year, same old story.

The Old Firm game is an amazing spectacle, so it annoys me to no end when a player I dislike takes center stage. Still, when Georgio Samaras scores a brace against Rangers, I am obliged to let the world know. This doesn’t make up for being lazier than Ibra, Georgio. Did you take molasses baths in South Africa or something?

I’ve kept you in suspense this long even though I know you’re just dying to find out: Did Lucas Leiva do something horrible to tarnish both the current squad and the everlasting legacy of Liverpool FC this weekend? But of course.

Speaking of the Reds, Joe Cole’s winner puts the focus on Jonathan Wilson’s recent piece concerning changes to the offsides rule. According to Wilson, the adjustments to the language of the rule were genius. What do you think? Is Cole offsides here? Also, Stevie G’s cheeky cross and El Nino’s expert finish got the duo into the #7 spot on the Sportscenter Top Ten.

Whether you think that Gareth Bale has elevated himself to footy’s elite or not, there is  no denying that he is one of the game’s most dangerous players on the counterattack. Only Leo Messi may be more dangerous than the Welshman, who offered yet more proof of this against Wigan.

If you talk to an American that doesn’t like soccer, at some point in the conversation you will be told that the game has too much diving. Never you mind that in American football you can’t hit the quarterback if he goes into a slide (poor baby) and that wide receivers spend as much time trying to draw flags as they do catching passes. But that rant aside, there is, unfortunately, some validity to the diving claim. And Asier Del Horno made a lot of scoffers feel justified this weekend.

Robinho has never become the superstar he was supposed to be when he emerged on the scene about a decade ago. Limited by niggling injuries and a weighty ego, the little Brazilian is settling in as a defense-allergic support to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan. How far has Robinho come? Well just a few years ago, I would have told you that Robinho knew more about where the cameras were around the pitch than he knew about where his teammates were. That is obviously not the case anymore.