Sergio Agüero told reporters that Lionel Messi deserves to be ranked alongside Diego Armando Maradona as the greatest talent the game has ever seen.
Newell's Old Boys drew 1-1 with Arsenal and joined Boca Juniors at the top during the last match of the eleventh round of the Clausura Tournament.
The San Antonio Spurs moved to within one victory of securing the Western Conference top seed for the playoffs as the NBA's leading contenders continued to jostle for position in the final week of the regular season.
An heroic Chelsea survived the dismissal of captain John Terry to eliminate holders Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate and clinch a place in the Champions League final after an action-packed last-four clash in which Lionel Messi missed a penalty.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and defender Gerard Pique have played down reports of a rift, with both saying the centre back was left out of the Spanish and European champions' last two matches for purely sporting reasons.
Real Madrid look like being crowned kings of Spain but need to overturn a 2-1 Champions League semi-final first leg deficit against Bayern Munich on Wednesday to continue dreaming of European glory.
The designers of London's Olympic torch have won the Design of the Year 2012 award, organisers announced.
Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué has been given the all-clear after being taken to hospital as a precaution following a heavy clash during the Champions League semi-final, second leg against Chelsea.
The New York Rangers fended off a late Ottawa rally to beat the Senators 3-2 and set up a Game Seven decider, while Phoenix finished off Chicago to advance to the NHL Western Conference semi-finals.
The San Antonio Spurs cemented their position as the Western Conference top seeds for the second year in a row after thrashing the Portland Trail Blazers 124-89.