Messi "Braced" Through Arsenal's Bus

Messi scored twice against Arsenal who play the boring "park the bus" instead of attacking football. You cant blame them when the opponent is Barcelona.


Final score: Barcelona 3 Arsenal 1; though Gunners had ZERO shot on goal. Busquest accidentally scored an own goal from Nasri's corner, helping Arsenal to tie the score after a welltaken goal by Messi.

The first goal was the result of a backflick gone wrong by Fabregas. Maybe he was thinking of Iniesta as his teammate. Iniesta got the ball, found a small space between Arsenal's defenders and chipped the ball to Messi who was on the run. Messi showed why he is the best footballer in the world - by thousand miles - by a perfect chip past Almunia before slotting the ball into the net!

The second goal came after quick delightful passes by Iniesta to Villa and then to Xavi who scored with slight deflection off Arsenal's defender. After the goal, Barcelona wasted no time in search of the third and winning goal! Pedro was brought down inside the penalty box by Kolcshieny as he chased after a through pass by Xavi. As a result, the referee awarded a penalty to Barcelona. All eyes were on Messi as he placed the ball on the penalty spot! Messi stylistly converted the penalty and was mobbed by his teammates in front of Arsenal's goalmouth!

Arsenal nearly scored in the 87th minute but Mascherano did a great job to deny Bendtner from scoring the decisive goal. At the end, it was a great night for Barcelona and the fans. Arsenal was totally OUTCLASSED, OUTPLAYED and OUT-KICKED by Barcelona. Even Guardiola forgets his backpain as he celebrates ecstatically! Great job Barcelona! Hats off to Guardiola!!

A long route for Barcelona to meet Inter

The Preacher of Beautiful Football

Barcelona will meet Inter Milan tonight for the first leg of Champions League semifinal. The team has to travel by bus over 1,000km, with a stop in Cannes before setting the next day trip to Milan, the fashion capital! It would be a huge disadvantage for Barcelona and we will see whether this shortcoming has any effect on the team.

Hopefully it will be another beautiful game by Barcelona, not marred by bad physical tackles on tiny but incredible players.



My prediction:

Inter 1 Barcelona 2 :)

"The Special One" who doesn't understand beautiful football, yet. Still can improve!

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Guardiola expecting Inter to be tougher than Arsenal

Having seen his team create a plethora of chances in destroying Arsenal in the previous round, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insists his team won't have things so easy against Inter Milan.

The Italian champions host the holders in the Champions League semi-final, first leg at the San Siro here on Tuesday with many still purring over the Catalans' sumptuous play against Arsene Wenger's Londoners.

Barcelona produced a first half of mesmeric proportions in north London but still came away with only a 2-2 draw.

Yet in the return leg Argentina star Lionel Messi produced a majestic performance to score all four goals in a 4-1 dismantling of the Gunners.

But Guardiola believes this test will be much more difficult.

"We played very well in the last two games against Arsenal and we'll try to maintain that level," he said.

"I'd like to create the same number of chances we did against Arsneal but I don't think we will because Inter are so competitive, from the coach (Jose Mourinho) right through to the players.

"We're not the only team playing, there are the others too and sometimes they play well.

"Tomorrow we're playing a team like Inter who are four or five times champions of Italy.

Barca endured a nightmare journey just to arrive in Milan, travelling the 1,000km by bus and stopping overnight in Cannes, but Guardiola insisted they will not be making any excuses.

"It's not an ideal situation playing a Champions League game after 14 hours in a bus but it's the volcano, you can't do anything about it," he added.

"We could have stayed at home and lost the match 3-0 but we wanted to play and we took the bus and wanted to do it in the most comfotable way so we took two buses.

"Of course it's not easy coming by bus but they do it every day in the second and third divisions."


To read more, click on the title!

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The Special Battle begins – but can Mourinho settle a score with his old club?

"Everything is in place then for Inter against Barcelona, Mourinho against Guardiola. The Special One against the apparently even more special one. Mourinho once said: "Barcelona is a great club but in my short time as a coach I have won just as many European Cups as them." That was true when he was starting out at Chelsea, but things have changed. Guardiola made it 3-1 to Barça last season... Mourinho has got some catching up to do."

The God's Given Lionel Messi

"It shouldn't have taken last night to realise it."

That's right!

Contemplating a move to Barcelona, Spain. :)

"Messi is the best player in the world, by a distance!" Arsene Wenger

And I have one for Messi too:

"The God's Given Lionel Messi"

We will never had enough of you!

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'Mythical, universal, the Lord's anointed one' - Spain hails Leo MessiAfter Lionel Messi's performance against Arsenal everyone agrees he's the best in the world - but what took them so long?

Leo Messi did something impossible last night. He got even better (and still he can play better!). He had scored in the Champions League final (what a header!), the Copa del Rey final and the World Club Cup final (with his chest! i think he's the first to score, purposely, with this technique!), emulated that goal from Diego Maradona, hit three in the clasico against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, two at the Santiago Bernabéu, and scored two hat-tricks in a row. But he'd never scored four before. Until last night. Last night, even Marca and AS, the myopic leaders of the Madrid media dropped to their knees; last night, so did the English. They could ignore him no more. Last night, as El PaÌs, put it, "Messi ate Arsenal". (Messi Shrunk Arsenal) :D

AS has long been proud of its cagumetro - literally, crapping-yourself-o-meter - the tool used to 'measure' the fear they claim grips Barcelona fans every time Real Madrid rear into view, its needle furiously twitching before shooting up towards a million cagahertz. This morning, three days from the clasico, they're applying it to themselves. "Messi," declares the cover of AS, "is frightening". Inside, their headline chanted: "Messi! Messi! Messi! Messi!", while the inventor of this delightful device, Barça-baiter-in-chief Tomas Guasch, was busy saying a prayer: "Ay Manuel Pellegrini, may God guide you!" As for Marca, their cover asks: "And how do we stop this guy?"


It is a pertinent question. Booting him about doesn't seem to work; he just gets even more determined. And besides, it is easier said than done. A few weeks ago, the Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano insisted that the only way was with a rifle.Last night, Arsene Wenger described him as "a PlayStation footballer". The Catalan daily Sport calls him "football's Picasso", insisting: "We're going to have to expand the dictionary to find new adjectives for him, because majestic, lethal, magic, incomparable and divine have all been used up." Its website implored fans: "Don't say football, say Messi." El Mundo Deportivo went for "mythical, universal, the Lord's anointed one." But most cut out the middle man. "There is," said El Mundo, "only one God: Messi".

Arsenal players, from left: 1"Is that going in??" 2 Its going innn!! 3 OMFM thats unbelievable!!!


But all that's not entirely new. It's less than two weeks since Spain's severe superlatives shortage was reported on these pages. Uncovering new adjectives is an impossible task. Victor Valdés was only the latest person to admit defeat, shrugging: "I can't find the words to define him - I'm just very proud that he's on my team." What was new was seeing Marca and AS lead with him on the cover, and Marca's cartoonist depicting Messi as a little green man with antenna on his head and long, horn-shaped ears under the caption: "From another planet".


So was the reaction from England, the unanimous acclaim. "Messi," said Wenger, "is the best player in the world - by a distance." At last everyone seemed to agree; 90 minutes against Arsenal had done the trick. Even Phil Thompson must have given in, despite recently declaring: "Wayne Rooney is streets ahead of Messi." (Which streets, Phil, which bloody streets?!) Yes, which blooody hell streets???

Watching the game on Sky, browsing blogs, reading reports, it's tempting to conclude that England discovered Leo Messi last night. What took you? A match against an English club, that's what. As if that's the only measure of greatness. It shouldn't have done. They shouldn't have discovered him against Arsenal; he has hardly been hidden away.

The winning "Phenomenal" team minus top two defenders

"I really don't want to compare Leo with any other player in the world because that other player would come off so badly - he's just so far ahead." That's what Xavi Hernandez said. A year ago. Yesterday he added: "A player like this only comes along every 30 years or so." (i dont agree with you Xavi, its once in a century!) Rafa Marquez said: "Messi has proven once again that he is the best in the world." The key words were 'once' and 'again'. They would say that of course. But does anyone doubt that they are right?


This is not the place to go over Messi's extraordinary qualities again, that's been done before. It is the place, though, to point something out...


What Messi did last night was brilliant. In fact, it was more brilliant that the goals alone suggest. Just look at the two he didn't score - the curler that clipped the top of the goal, the scamper through that ended with him hitting it into the side-netting. Look at the fact that he didn't just score the first two; it was his passes that made them as well. But, ridiculous though this sounds, last night's performance was not unusual. In fact, it is precisely the consistency of his brilliance that has seen it become almost mundane; he makes the ridiculous routine.


When he scored a hat-trick against Zaragoza a fortnight ago, one fan started shouting something about how brilliant he is. Pep Guardiola approached the fan and replied: "If it wasn't for him, I'd be a third division coach." Last night he became their all-time top scorer in the Champions League. He is top scorer in this season's La Liga. He has provided more assists than anyone else, too. Yesterday was his fourth hat-trick of the season. He has scored 119 goals for Barcelona and he's still only 22.


It is not just about the spectacular. Earlier this season, asked about the pressure on Messi after a 'poor' game, Guardiola insisted: "Messi can play badly as often as he likes." Thing is, Messi never plays badly, even when he plays 'badly'. Sometimes he is not spectacular, sure, but he is never poor. Take the first leg against Arsenal: most people will tell you that Messi did little, but he had more than twice as many shots on target than anyone else and played more passes than any Arsenal player. He even answers the cliché about tracking back and work-rate: Messi has committed more fouls than any Barcelona defender.


One former Barcelona and Real Madrid player makes the point that when Ronaldo plays a pass, the first thing he does is demand it back. Messi is happy just to play, to keep it simple, to keep it moving (Thats the key - attitude). At the Camp Nou only one Arsenal player completed as many passes. Increasingly, Messi is not just scoring but - with Xavi, surely the finest midfielder Spain has ever produced - running games too. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he was "surprised" to see Messi play centrally in Rome last season but he shouldn't have been. As one opponent puts it: "Messi is the best striker for his goals, the best winger for his dribbling, the best midfielder for his passes." That night in Rome Messi did what Messi always does: answered the questions asked of him. There is just one question left - the Argentina one. And on the evidence so far, he will end up answering that too.

Simply Genius!!!

They said he didn't do it in big games - although goodness knows how they had the cheek to say that; did the clasico and the cup final not count? - so he did it in the Champions League final. They said he had never scored against an English team, and after a game in Santander it had been noted that he could not head a ball. Guardiola replied: "I advise you not to question Leo. One day, he's going to score a great header and shut you all up." Everyone laughed. He scored with a towering header, outjumping Rio Ferdinand.


But still they wanted more, and more, and more. There seemed to be a strange, bloody-minded determination not to recognise him. So Messi provided it. He started racking up goal after goal but they said that anyone could score goals in Spain. So last night he became top scorer in the Champions League. For the second successive season. And, for those who had forgotten Rome, he obliterated Arsenal into the bargain. Now they're saying Messi is the best player in the world. It shouldn't have taken last night to realise it.

Barcelona vs Arsenal - Match of the Week?

Barcelona will take on Arsenal at Nou Camp tonight (2.45am). This match stands to attract a lot of attention given beautiful football played by the teams, especially Barcelona, in the first leg last week. I would like to see Boyan get started alongside Messi and Pedro, after his solid performance against Athletico Madrid. Gasquet just need to be wary by not slipping the ball away again! -which made way for Arsenal to score their first goal.

Messi should take the centre stage and show us some great dribbling skills. LOL! My prediction is Messi to score 2 goals tonight.

Fulltime score Barcelona 3 Arsenal 1!

Good news for Barcelona, Iniesta is named in the squad against Arsenal!

Enjoy beautiful football! Peace!

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FC Barcelona vs Arsenal Preview - Let the Footballing Extravaganza Resume

Update : Iniesta named in the Squad to Face Arsenal
A week has passed since the Barca - Arsenal clash at the Emirates; meanwhile both teams won their corresponding League fixtures but still everyone is talking only about the match at Emirates. With the first leg ending at 2-2, the tie is still widely open. FC Barcelona slightly hold the upper hand with two away goals, but against a team like Arsenal, away goals may not matter. Both teams have a huge number of players out for this tie.

For FC Barcelona, captain Puyol is suspended along with Pique, Ibrahimovic is out of the second leg clash with an injury and Toure will be a doubtful starter. Meanwhile Iniesta is still recovering from his injury. Arsenal has a pretty bigger line of absentees - Gallas, Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas both are injured, the latter is anyway suspended for this leg.

Song is the latest one to be ruled out for the match at Barcelona. Arsene Wenger has announced the squad which will travel to Barelona - Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo, Abou Diaby, Samir Nasri, Denilson, Fran Merida, Theo Walcott, Craig Eastmond, Tomas Rosicky, Armand Traore, Emmanuel Eboue, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, Sol Campbell, Mikael Silvestre

Messi and Xavi are the key Players for Barca
Barca fans will be hoping that the team has taken some lessons from the late comeback of Arsenal at the Emirates, especially Gaurdiola. Arsenal players showed that they are a resilient group and will not give up on the task that easily. Coming back from two goals down to earn a draw, Arsenal definitely have the momentum to take on Barca. But it is also to be seen how much the last gasp victory against Wolves taken out of this young bunch.

Arsene Wenger has identified Thoe Walcott as his main weapon against Barca. That means he will be looking to attack through the flanks more than he did in the home leg. Theo Walcott is certain to start the match and his pace on the right flank could spell trouble for Barca. Against Wolves, he was on fire on the right flank. In that background I would like to see Guardiola employ the traditional 4-3-3 formation against Arsenal, rather than the 4-2-3-1. But there are some interesting problems facing such a decision, which I will explain later.

A 4-2-3-1 formation will see Abidal and Alves being left alone to deal with the pace of Arsenal on the flanks. Meanwhile Lionel Messi had an average match by his standard in the first leg ( only by his standard, otherwise had a good match), would be looking to show off his skills more effectively against Arsenal.


Read more: http://www.allaboutfcbarcelona.com/2010/04/fc-barcelona-vs-arsenal-champions.html


Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that Pep Guardiolas Barcelona side is the best team he has ever seen.

Messi Fires Barca into QF of Champions League

Playing at his magical best, Messi collected a ball from Yaya Toure in the 13th minute and ran at the Stuttgart defense before firing a 20-meter, left-footed shot into the top corner of the net.

"He was so decisive," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said of Messi. "Every great has a tendency to influence his team, like (Michael) Jordan with the Bulls. He's the best. We wouldn't trade him for anybody."



Barcelona, Bordeaux into Champions League last 8

LONDON (AP): Inspired by the brilliance of Lionel Messi's two goals, defending champion Barcelona beat Stuttgart 4-0 on Wednesday to power into the Champions League quarterfinals as Bordeaux defeated Olympiakos 2-1 to also advance.

Pedro Rodriguez and Bojan Krkic also hit the target as Barcelona went through 5-1 on aggregate despite missing injured midfielder Xavi Hernandez.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Bordeaux scored a goal in the fifth minute from a bending free kick by Yoann Gourcuff. Kostas Mitroglou replied for Olympiakos with a long-range drive but Marouane Chamakh added an acrobatic headed goal for a 3-1 overall victory.

Barcelona and Bordeaux join Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Lyon, Inter Milan and CSKA Moscow in the last eight.

The draws for the quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on Friday at UEFA headquarters at Nyon in Switzerland.

Three English clubs have made it to the semifinals in the past two seasons, but only Manchester United and Arsenal have survived to the last eight this time. With no seeding system to keep them apart, they could be drawn to face each other. The same applies to French clubs Lyon and Bordeaux.

Inter Milan is trying to win the title for the first time since 1965 and is coached by Jose Mourinho, who won it with FC Porto in 2004 and knocked out his former club Chelsea on Tuesday. Arsenal, Lyon, Bordeaux and CSKA have never won the competition.

Even without Xavi, who was out with a calf injury, Barcelona had too much talent for Stuttgart at Camp Nou.

Playing at his magical best, Messi collected a ball from Yaya Toure in the 13th minute and ran at the Stuttgart defense before firing a 20-meter, left-footed shot into the top corner of the net.

"He was so decisive," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said of Messi. "Every great has a tendency to influence his team, like (Michael) Jordan with the Bulls. He's the best. We wouldn't trade him for anybody."

Pedro added the second in the 22nd minute when he tapped in a low cross from Toure in a move started by Messi.

Messi made it 3-0 in the 60th when he turned a defender just outside the area and fired a low shot past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

The Argentina star, who scored three times against Valencia in the Spanish league on Sunday, should have had another hat trick in the 86th minute when he dribbled past three men but rolled the ball wide of goal.

"His ability is incredible when you consider his age," Stuttgart coach Christian Gross said of the 22-year-old Messi. "I think it's fair to compare him to (Diego) Maradona."

Began added the fourth with his first touch in the 89th minute after receiving a pass from fellow substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

While Mess's dribbling and shooting mesmerized his opponents in Barcelona, Bordeaux's big weapon was Gourcuff's spectacular free kicks.

From wide on the left in the fifth minute, he curled his shot over the goalkeeper and in off the inside of the far post. Gourcuff also hit the bar and post with a near identical free kick in the final minute of the first half.

Olympiakos' Matt Derbyshire put the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside.

The English striker was sent off in the 60th minute after his second yellow card.

Despite being down to 10 men, the Greek champions hit back and substitute Kostas Mitroglou equalized on the night with a powerful right-footed shot in the 64th minute. The game became 10 against 10 when Bordeaux's Alou Diarra was sent off for a lunging tackle five minutes later.

That meant a second goal for Olympiakos would have put the Greek club through on away goals. But Chamakh jumped highest to head home a leftwing cross in the 89th minute, tumbling over his opponent as the ball flew into the net.

Bordeaux has now reached the last eight of European football's most prestigious club tournament for the first time since 1988.

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc said that having two teams in the last eight was a sign of a revival in domestic French football.

"You can think that because of the teams now qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals, and those doing well in the Europa League, that this proves that French football is in good shape," Blanc said.

"But to confirm this we will have to see how this develops over time to see if this can happen again, and to see how regularly French teams get through to the quarterfinals."

In Tuesday's games, Inter won 1-0 at Chelsea to advance 3-1 overall and CSKA reached the quarterfinals for the first time by beating Sevilla 2-1 and 3-2 on aggregate.

Messi Steers Barca to First Win in Champions League 2009/2010

Barcelona beats Dynamo 2-0 in Champions League

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez scored Tuesday to help defending champion Barcelona beat Dynamo Kiev 2-0 and move top of Group F in the Champions League.

Messi scored in the 26th minute when he received Andres Iniesta's pass and cut in from the right before delivering a powerful low shot that goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy couldn't keep out.

Substitute Pedro doubled Barcelona's lead in the 76th with a low left-footed shot from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's pass.

Playing its first home game in this season's competition, Barcelona's winning margin could have been larger but for Shovkovskiy's series of saves.

"It's an important win. It's always important to win your home matches in the Champions League," Pedro told Spanish state TV.




In Tuesday's other group game, Rubin Kazan drew 1-1 with Inter Milan.

After two rounds, Barcelona has four points, while Kiev has three. Inter Milan follows with two points, one more than Rubin.

"It's better to be the leader as quickly as possible because we are in a tough group," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "This Tuesday's win is really important. We've taken a small step towards qualification for the second round."

Kiev coach Valeri Gazzaev said Barcelona "was at another level."

We did what we could. We started playing on the counterattack and there were times when we had a chance but that disappeared when we lost the ball," Gazzaev said, speaking through an interpreter.

Barcelona lacked the injured Thierry Henry, although this provided Iniesta with a place in the starting lineup for the first time since the Champions League final, when the Catalan team beat Manchester United 2-0.

Kiev included Andriy Shevchenko on his 33rd birthday despite a doubt over an eye injury. The striker scored a hat trick at Camp Nou in Kiev's 4-0 win in the competition 12 years ago.

The Ukrainians, who beat Rubin 3-1 in its opening group game, made a lively start with Gerson Magrao sending an angled shot narrowly wide after three minutes.

However, the visitors were fortunate in the 15th minute when a penalty was not awarded despite Iniesta's shirt appearing to be tugged by Yevgen Khacheridi.

Messi's goal led Barcelona to control the game until the interval, with Messi and Ibrahimovic a constant threat to Dynamo's defense but repeatedly thwarted by Shovkovskiy.

Ognjen Vukojevic had a goal disallowed in the 40th, with Artem Milevskiy ruled narrowly offside, to remind Barcelona that Kiev was still in contention.

After Iniesta was replaced by Pedro at halftime, Barcelona continued in charge but initially found goal chances harder to create.

However, Barcelona came close in the 64th when Khacheridi headed just wide of his own goal, and three minutes later Shovkovskiy produced an impressive diving save to deny Ibrahimovic.

Dynamo almost reduced the deficit in the 88th when Milevskiy sent the ball over the advancing goalkeeper Victor Valdes - and narrowly over the Barcelona goal.


Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/10144214/Barcelona-beats-Dynamo-2-0-in-Champions-League

Manchester United Road To Glory UEFA Champions League 1998/1999

I talked about being a Man United fan before the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid. To flash back, read it here: I was a fan of Manchester United. Manchester United team of the 1998/1999 season is probably the best team in Man United history. Their never say die attitude can be seen from the great comebacks in the semifinal and final of UEFA Champions League.

Losing 0-1 for 90 minutes to Bayern Munich in the final, Man United scored two goals in the stoppage time of three minutes, through Terry Sheringham in the first minute and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 3rd minute. The crowds are simply phenomenal. If i were there, I would have lose my voice after the match ended.

Here's the video. Enjoy!

I was a fan of Manchester United

I was a fan of MU during the era of Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane and David Beckham. Eric Cantona is great but I still have yet to know him well at that time. The most memorable experience was when the Red Devils completed the treble in 1999. Losing 0-1 to Bayern Munich during most of the match time, MU made a great comeback with two goals in the last two minutes to seal a remarkable victory over Munich.

The atmosphere in the coffee shop where i watched the game is still fresh in my mind. Though the match started around 2.45am, MU die hard fans will never miss it. Its like a responsibility for them to follow every match involving MU. Anyone care to share whats the reason/s?

I still remember an Indian friend became too excited with the win and tears apart the plastic chair with his head! He just spontaneously held the chair high and slammed the chair (the area where you rest ur bottom) into his head. As a result, he had to compensate which I dont think he care much. He is too happy and order more Guinness to celebrate the magical win for his beloved team.



MU is still my favorite team in the EPL. They have their own style of play which I believe is hard for other teams to emulate. Since following Messi few years ago, and with the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid, my attention turns to Barcelona. I do think that the departure of Beckham is a great loss to MU. He is without doubt the best freekick taker and crosser in the world. For me, MU greatest no.7, since Eric Cantona era, belongs to David Beckham though many will prefer Ronaldo.



Why Messi? Simply because there isnt anyone like Messi.

He's great with dribbling...

Cool when scoring...



and simple when celebrating



Messi is a gifted player. You wont see another one like him in a long, long time.

Champions League Best Player of 2009 - Lionel Messi

MONACO (AP) - Barcelona's Lionel Messi was chosen the best player of the 2008-09 Champions League on Thursday.

The Argentina forward was voted the UEFA club player of the year by coaches of the 15 other teams who reached the knockout rounds of the tournament.

"It is an enormous joy to be able to receive such an important award as this," Messi said. "And it's also a pleasure to be able to thank all the people who voted for me and who decided I should get this award."

Messi scored nine times in Barcelona's march to the title, including a 70th-minute header in the final to seal a 2-0 win against Manchester United.

At the draw ceremony for this season's competition, Messi was voted best forward and teammate Xavi Hernandez was chosen best midfielder.

Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar was picked as best goalkeeper and John Terry of Chelsea as best defender.

Messi succeeded Cristiano Ronaldo, the world player of the year, in winning the UEFA award, and became the second Argentine winner after Fernando Redondo in Real Madrid's Champions League-winning season of 2000.


http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9993214/Messi-voted-best-player-of-2009-Champions-League

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=3493af3c-e256-49c7-80e4-73ee9754ce0b%26tab=FOX Soccer Channel

Guardiola Tactical Plan Sinks Manchester United; Messi is the Best Player in the World

ROME: Barcelona did a lot more than beat Manchester United to capture the Champions League alongside their domestic League and Cup double.

The Spanish club swung the pendulum of European power away from the Premier League.

Last season’s final in Moscow between United and Chelsea suggested that the wealth of the English game was threatening to take over.

But Pep Guardiola’s team outplayed United to such an extent at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday it was clear that the real quality is a long way from Manchester or London.

“We’re aware we’ve done something magnificent,” Guardiola said after his team’s 2-0 victory after goals by Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi. “We’re approaching mythical terms.”

The 38-year-old Barca coach, who completed a perfect season of three titles at his first attempt, said he believed Messi had proved without doubt he was the best player on the planet.

“Even if we had lost I wouldn’t have changed my opinion about him. Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, absolutely” Guardiola said. “I think right now he is adding his name to the Golden Ball.

“When the going gets tough, he really gets going.”

Guardiola’s tactical plan to switch winger Messi inside also outfoxed United’s defenders.

“I saw last year that Leo Messi had problems with (Man United leftback Patrice) Evra and so I decided to take him out of the right side and put in the middle,” Guardiola said.

“Messi, with Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Inestia, I tried to have one more man in the midfield.”

Messi even came up with a rare header goal to take his Champions League tally to nine – two better than anyone else – and his season total to 38.

“This is the most important victory of my life,” Messi said. “When the second goal came that calmed us down a lot.”

His goals tally put Man United star Cristiano Ronaldo in the shade after his 18 league goals and four in the Champions League and the head-to-head to measure which player is the best was one-sided in this final.

“This is one of the biggest disappointments of my career. We were always confident before the game but unfortunately we couldn’t do it,” Ronaldo said, who said after the game wasn’t sure whether he would be staying at United.

“It is always bad when you lose a final. But we didn’t play well. We did OK in the first 10 minutes but you have to say Barcelona deserved to win.”

Man United manager Alex Ferguson admitted his team was beaten by a better side.

“The disappointment was the use of the ball when we got possession,” Ferguson said. “You have to wait minutes to get it back off them. Could be it was an off night. Could be it was a mountain too big to climb.

“We knew what a good football team they were. We had difficulty in defending against them. Messi dropped into midfield and they kept possession and made it difficult for us.”

The 67-year-old Man United manager, who remains on 25 titles in 23 years at Old Trafford, praised the much younger Guardiola for his achievement for winning three in his first season.

“It is a great achievement as a coach in his first year. Well done. Fantastic,” Ferguson said. “Everybody enjoys their football and it is great credit to him.”

“You have to give credit to a very good Barcelona team. If they get in front of you they are very difficult to beat,” Ferguson said. “They kept possession of the ball and made it very difficult to get back.

“When we did get possession we didn’t do well with it. Credit to them, the better team won.” — AP

Source: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/5/29/sports/4002100&sec=sports

UEFA Champions League 2009 Winner Is... Barcelona!!!

Barcelona beats Man United 2-0 in final

ROME (AP) - A rare headed goal by Lionel Messi (indeed a very rare header by probably the shortest player on field - even one of the tallest goalkeeper cant touch the ball! What a GOAL!!!) helped Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League final on Wednesday, giving the Spanish side its third European Cup title and third trophy in a magical season.

Samuel Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead in the 10th minute and Messi's 70th-minute goal - his ninth in the Champions League this season - sealed the victory over the defending champions at the Stadio Olimpico.

The triumph completed a sweep of titles for 38-year-old Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola in his first season, after wins in the Spanish league and cup. The former Barcelona star, who started as a ball boy at Camp Nou, now joins the ranks of those who have won the title both as a player and a coach.

Guardiola became the youngest coach to win European soccer's top club competition since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1993. Barcelona also won the trophy in 1992 and 2006.

"No team has ever done the treble in Spain, and we'll be remembered as the first team to do it," Barcelona striker Thierry Henry said. "That's amazing." (For record, Barcelona won the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey), then the Spanish League, and now the Champions League in 2009! Undisputedly The Team of the Year - Barcelona)

United had been chasing its fourth European Cup title, and fourth trophy this season after winning the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and League Cup.

But United was thoroughly outplayed by the Spanish side as Messi scored his 38th goal of an amazing year for Barcelona, which has 53 league and cup goals this season. (FIFA World Player of the Year 2009 - Lionel MESSI)

Xavi floated a diagonal ball into the United area to find Messi unmarked, and the 5-fooot-7 (1.69 m) Argentina striker - renowned for his deft dribbling and shooting - used his head to loop the ball over United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar and into the net.

Messi set off colorful celebrations at one end of the stadium, filled with 62,467 fans, and left English fans in silence.

The loss left Man United manager Alex Ferguson at 25 titles in 23 seasons. He failed to match Liverpool's Bob Paisley's three titles in the competition.

"We started the game brightly. We were confident and we could have been in front," Ferguson said. "We had the ball but didn't use it very well. ... We defended fantastically all season but they were two shoddy goals.

"We didn't play as well as we can, but they are a good team. We have to give them credit. Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Iniesta can keep the ball all night. They made it very difficult."

South Korean winger Park Ji-sung became the first Asian to play in a Champions League final. He almost scored for United in the opening minute but his shot was deflected wide after Cristiano Ronaldo's free kick had been blocked by the goalkeeper. It was the nearest United came to scoring all night.

The victory also marked the first Champions League title for Henry, the French striker who was on the losing side when Arsenal lost to Barcelona in 2006.

"Finally, I've been waiting for so long to get this title and now finally today," said Henry, who had been doubtful for the final because of a knee injury. "The last five minutes were the longest of my life."

United almost went ahead in the opening minute when a needless foul by Yaya Toure on Anderson handed Ronaldo an early free kick. His powerful drive was blocked by the hands of goalkeeper Victor Valdes and Park's rebound was deflected for a corner by Gerard Pique.

With Barcelona's dangerous forwards barely getting a touch of the ball in the early stages, there was little danger at the other end until the Spanish champions went ahead with their first attack of the game.

Iniesta started the move with a break through midfield and found Eto'o on the right. The striker cut inside a weak tackle by Nemanja Vidic and poked a low angled shot past Van de Sar.

The goal changed the pattern of the play with Barcelona's stars settling into their confident style of interpassing. United, now chasing the game, was unable to create any real danger. Ronaldo wanted to shoot at every opportunity, but fired wide and headed over.

Seeing his title slipping away, Ferguson reshaped his attack for the second half.

The 67-year-old Scot took off midfielder Anderson and sent on Carlos Tevez, the Argentina striker who is convinced he's leaving the club because United won't turn his loan deal into a full term transfer.

That left United undermanned in midfield and Barcelona continued to create openings.

Ferguson made another change when he took off Park and sent on Dimitar Berbatov.

Barcelona could have added more but Van der Sar saved twice from Carles Puyol and Ronaldo was shown the yellow card for some petulant late challenges on the Barcelona captain.

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/5/28/sports/20090528063317&sec=sports

Barcelona Is Ready To Win With Beautiful Football!

Barcelona attack at full strength vs. Man United
ROME (AP) - Barcelona's formidable attack should be at its best with Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta likely to return for the Champions League final against Manchester United.

Henry and Iniesta were traveling with the team to Rome on Tuesday, a day after taking part in their first full training session since picking up separate leg injuries earlier this month.

The puzzle is coming together for the Spanish champions in time for Wednesday's match between two of the world's best clubs.

"They are two basic footballing pieces in our scheme," Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said. "We know they're going to play, that they'll be 100 percent, and to have them is a privilege because with them we're better."

Both players have been key to the offensive juggernaut that has scored 151 goals in collecting two trophies this season.

Iniesta's injury-time goal against a staunch Chelsea side earned Barca its sixth trip to the final; it has won the cup twice. The Spain midfielder, recovering from a thigh injury, abandoned his usual reserved nature when it came to deciphering the final.

"United are the defending champions, one of the best, but they don't scare me. I have the same respect for them as they have for us," Iniesta said. "It's a chance to go down in history. I'd accept winning on penalties."

Based on their training methods, that's something Barcelona is not exactly ready for.

"We haven't practiced them," Xavi said. "I think to do that is ridiculous because you can't emulate the tension of a game in a training session."

Henry has combined with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o to net a league-record 71 goals by a trio. But Iniesta provides an integral midfield piece to rookie coach Josep Guardiola's philosophy: attacking, possession soccer borne out by midfielders Xavi and Iniesta.

The two players are straight out of the mold of Guardiola, a former midfielder who orchestrated Barcelona to 10 major titles from that role, including in the Champions League in 1992.

"This is special for us because we played the best football," Xavi said after the club secured its 19th league title. "I have never seen (a team) play at this level, I have never played in a better team. We have individuals but, above all, we've won as a team. I'm proud."

But the absence of several defenders has left Barcelona's defense exposed against a team that knocked it out at the semifinal stage last year.

With fullbacks Daniel Alves and Eric Abidal suspended and center back Rafael Marquez injured, midfielder Yaya Toure will likely partner with former United player Gerard Pique in the middle as he did against Chelsea, then against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final. Captain Carles Puyol and 35-year-old Silvinho are likely to fill in on the wings.

With forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov to contend with, goalkeeper Victor Valdes again may be called upon to make big saves in pressure moments.

"What I must value is how Rooney, Tevez, (Paul) Scholes, etc., work," Iniesta said. "Rooney played left back against us. To win a final against United you can't make any mistakes."

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Ronaldo vs. Messi could decide 'best player' award (But one game doesnt make the difference. Messi has been outstanding throughout the year, from Spanish League to Champions League. Fair enough. Messi is undeniably the best this year!!!)

While Manchester United and Barcelona play for the Champions League trophy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may well be squaring off for the right to call himself the world's best player.

Ronaldo, however, doesn't seem too concerned about that.

"Now to decide (who the best player is), who cares about that? What I want more is to win the Champions League and that's it," Ronaldo said Tuesday from the Stadio Olimpico. "I respect Barcelona very much, Messi is special also.

"Sincerely, I'm not worried about that. I would rather win the Champions League final. I want it very much."

Ronaldo is the reigning FIFA world player of the year after his 42 goals last season guided United to both the Premier League and Champions League trophies. Messi was second in the voting, despite Barcelona enduring a second straight season without a trophy.

This season, however, Messi has already collected two trophies and netted more goals than Ronaldo, and the result of Wednesday's final could be the deciding factor when votes are cast for next year's award. (I dont think so.)

"Both are huge, huge players," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "For me, never mind who is going to win the Champions League or who is better - both are marvelous players. For Manchester, Ronaldo is very important, and for us Messi is very important."

United coach Alex Ferguson said picking one over the other was difficult because of their different styles - Ronaldo's speedy stepovers and long-range shooting vs. Messi's darting runs and imagination inside the area.

"Both have the ability and courage to attack defenders all the time. No matter how many times they are tackled they get up and they want the ball, and that's the kind of courage we want to see in footballers. And both have it," Ferguson said. "Both have different types of qualities, both are different types of players but at end of the day, how can you divide it? They're separate."

If Man United defends its European trophy, that will provide a fourth piece of silverware after league, League Cup and Club World Cup triumphs.

Messi can add a Champions League title to Barcelona's league and cup double, and see the Catalans become only the fifth Spanish team to win three trophies in a season.

"Messi will play a good game if we get our tactics right," Guardiola said.

Ronaldo has never scored against Spanish opposition while Messi, who leads the competition with eight goals, has never netted against a Premier League opponent.

Ronaldo said the buildup to the their individual showdown was not proving a distraction.

"I'm 100 percent focused on the game. I know the people want to know something about me but I'm very focused," Ronaldo said. "I try to score a goal and win the game, that's it."

Source:
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9613070/Barcelona-attack-at-full-strength-vs.-Man-United
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9613418/Ronaldo-vs.-Messi-could-decide-'best-player'-award

Ferguson Hails Messi As World's Best

Again, Alex Ferguson say something absolutely right. This time its about Messi. The Champions League final is coming up. Cast your vote before the final, probably one of the best football match in history!!!

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Ferguson hails world's best duo in Messi, Ronaldo

Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's most gifted players ahead of the Champions League final.

The Manchester United manager believes the two stars' work ethic allied to their natural ability sets them apart from anyone else in world football.

Ferguson, who rates the quality in the Champions League as even higher than in the World Cup, also rates AC Milan's Kaka to an extent "although he has never really taken my breath away".

He told the latest issue of UEFA publication The Technician: "There are some players, such as Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo who are innately gifted.

"But this is not enough, and there is a practice element which becomes very important.

"If you watch Cristiano Ronaldo, he practices after every squad training session, and quite a few others do the same.

"As a coach, we dedicate parts of the training to improving touch, movement, passing and speed of play, but the special quality, the detail, depends on the player being willing to sacrifice himself after training - this is a hallmark of the great players.

"If the big talents only rely on their natural ability, they won't have that extra edge. They must do something extra on their own."

Asked which opposition players he rated highest, Ferguson replied: "When I think of the current generation, Lionel Messi is top level and, although he has never really taken my breath away, Kaka has impressed."

Messi and Ronaldo will come face to face in the Olympic Stadium in Rome, and Ferguson believes the Champions League is hard to beat when it comes to drama - even compared to the World Cup.

The United manager added: "There are many good games at the World Cup, but in general the quality in the big Champions League games is, in my view, higher.

"I think that, overall, the Champions League is hard to beat when it comes to consistency, quality and drama.

"The World Cup, of course, is every four years, and big changes always take place with the departure of many players and coaches and continuity then suffers."

Ferguson also picked out AC Milan's Paolo Maldini as his favourite opposition player during his time as a Champions League coach.

"He has a wonderful presence, competitive spirit, athleticism, and although not the world's greatest technically, he has influenced all the AC Milan teams during his wonderfully successful era - a truly marvelous player," said Ferguson.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9589842/Ferguson-hails-world's-best-duo-in-Messi,-Ronaldo

Related articles:

• Messi vs Ronaldo
• Barcelona vs Man U - A Dream Final
• Messi Is Better Than Maradona

Barcelona To Meet Chelsea In Semifinal

My prediction: The winner of this match will go on to lift the Champions League 2009 trophy!

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Barcelona into semis after 1-1 draw at Bayern

MUNICH (AP) - Barcelona did enough to book its spot in the Champions League semifinals with a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich in Tuesday's quarterfinal return leg. Franck Ribery put Bayern ahead in the 47th minute, while Seydou Keita equalized in the 73rd as Barcelona eased to a 5-1 victory on aggregate and a semifinal place against Chelsea. The Spanish club will play the first leg at home on April 28 and face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on May 6.

Barcelona, winner of the 1992 European Cup and the Champions League in 2006, enjoyed a safe passage to the last four after a convincing 4-0 first leg win at home last week.

"We are very happy to be back in the semifinals. We still have a lot of time before we have to think about Chelsea but they are a great team. It would not have been an easier game if we had faced Liverpool," said Barcelona's assistant coach Tito Vilanova.

Vilanova was in charge for the game as head coach Pep Guardiola had been banned following an outburst from the first leg.

"We played really well in defense and did a good job keeping Ribery and (Luca) Toni in check. We have not reached our goals yet.

We have to continue working," Vilanova said.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 66,000 at Munich's Allianz Arena, Bayern was by far the more aggressive side early on, knowing it needed a quick goal after the embarrassment in Barcelona.

The Germans went close in the sixth minute, with Jose Ernesto Sosa winning a ball in the Barcelona defense and sending a dangerous cross toward Luca Toni. However, the Italian failed to get his head to the ball.

Toni had the ball in Barcelona's net just a minute later but the goal was disallowed for offside. Bayern continued to push forward and Ribery shot just over the top in the 14th minute.

"We reacted well to the defeat in Barcelona," Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann said. "If we had scored early and if we had led 2-0, who knows what would have happened. Maybe they would have lost some confidence. We went out against the best team in the world at the moment."

Though Bayern controlled the game for the first 25 minutes, Barcelona began to turn the tables as it looked for a way through the Bayern defense.

Bayern had one more chance just before halftime, when Toni's left-foot shot from 13 yards (meters) went just wide left.

Bayern finally grabbed the lead two minutes after the break when Ze Roberto put Ribery through in the area. The Frenchman did a neat dummy and beat Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a rising shot.

Bayern's defense was effective in shutting down Barca star Lionel Messi, who scored twice in the first leg, and was further helped by striker Thierry Henry missing the return match with a cold.

But Barcelona responded quickly to conceding the goal and Bayern defender Lucio twice blocked threats in the box. The Spaniards equalized with 17 minutes left, silencing the Munich crowd.

Some fine passing in the area ended with Xavi Hernandez laying the ball on for Keita, who blasted past Bayern 'keeper Hans-Joerg Butt from 16 yards (meters).-AP

Source: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/4/15/sports/20090415071229&sec=sports

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich 3-0

My prediction: Barcelona 3 Bayern Munich 0.

2 goals by Messi

1 goal by Eto'o or Xavi

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Barça primed for thrilling night
Champions League clash with Bayern tonight is perfect formula for grit and goals
By Pete Jenson in Valencia
Wednesday, 8 April 2009

It promises to be the perfect antidote to another instalment of Liverpool versus Chelsea. Bayern Munich are fresh from hitting Sporting Lisbon for 12 in the last round, Barcelona have scored an astonishing 30 league goals more than every other team in Europe – so while Liverpool and Chelsea promise strategic sparring, Barça versus Bayern should be a bare-knuckle slugging match.

Playing their first competitive match in the Nou Camp since they were beaten by Manchester United in the 1999 final, Bayern face a Barça side that has not failed to score in a competitive match since the opening day of the season.

"We are not the favourites," said the Barcelona defender Carles Puyol last night, fooling nobody. Barça have scored 85 La Liga goals so far this season – that's 31 more than the Germans ... as well as 33 more than Manchester United and 30 more than both Internazionale and Liverpool.

Bayern, struggling in the Bundesliga, have saved their best for Europe where Franck Ribéry has been sensational. His head-to-head with the Barça right-back Dani Alves will be one of many titanic duels.

Luca Toni's strength in the air will severely test Barcelona central-defender Rafa Márquez, who is far happier striding out of defence with the ball at his feet than going shoulder to shoulder with a battering ram of a centre-forward.

Barça's midfield maestro, Xavi Hernandez, will have to shake Mark Van Bommel from his ankles before he can start to weave those pretty patterns he lights-up La Liga with every weekend and the Bayern defenders Martin Demischelis, Breno and Ze Roberto will need to find a way of reigning in Barca's sprint-relay trio of Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.

Even the two goalkeepers suggest goals – Victor Valdes for Barcelona has looked shaky every time someone has got close enough to shoot against him this season and Michael Rensing looks anything but a serious replacement for Oliver Kahn.

Van Bommel is going back to his former club and the Barcelona fans will not have forgotten the "up-yours" gesture he delivered to Real Madrid supporters after scoring against them two years ago in the competition, while Ribéry is expected to leave Bayern in the summer and he will play himself even further into the affections of potential suitors Real if he can bury Barcelona.

"It is not an impossible task," said the Bayern coach Jürgen Klinsman. "My challenge when I arrived at this club was to put Bayern back on the map in Europe and to a degree we have achieved that by making the top eight. We are back where we belong."

The Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, is wary of Bayern's European pedigree. "As always we will try to put on a great show. But when you reach this stage you know that the slightest errors will be punished. You have a bad few minutes and you're out. And we know we are up against a team who don't need to be at their absolute best to score goals."

Barcelona (probable, 4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Marquez, Pique, Puyol; Xavi, Keita, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o, Henry.

Bayern Munich (probable, 4-4-2): Rensing; Oddo, Demichelis, Breno, Lahm; Schweinsteiger, Ze Roberto, van Bommel, Ribery; Toni, Podolski.

Miss next match if booked: Marquez (Barcelona), Van Bommel (Bayern Munich).
Referee: H Webb (England).

9
Number of times Barcelona have scored five or more goals this season in all competitions.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/barccedila-primed-for-thrilling-night-1665174.html

Alex Ferguson Knew Something... Ahemm

Alex Ferguson is certainly one of the best football manager in the world. But not everything he said about football were correct. But this time I think he got it right!!

Ferguson says Barca could foil MU’s bid to retain title

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has highlighted Barcelona as the biggest threat to his side’s chances of retaining their Champions League title.

Both sides have managed to avoid one another in the quarter-finals, with United up against Porto and Barcelona facing Bayern Munich, and cannot now meet until the May 27 final in Rome.

Also through to the last eight are United’s English rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

But although Liverpool thrashed United 4-1 in the Premier League this month and saw off Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League, Ferguson said Barcelona were the team to beat.

“Barcelona are the form team, they have been terrific this season and everyone is taking notice of them,” Ferguson told Inside United magazine.

“Their first-half performance against Lyon in the second leg of the first knock-out round (which they won 5-2 at the Nou Camp) was absolutely brilliant — they were four-up in no time.

“They can be a threat to anybody and are quite rightly one of the favourites,” the veteran Scottish boss added.

“The English teams have proven the strength of the Premier League in recent years. Last season we had three in the semi-finals and two in the final, the previous year there were three in the semis and Liverpool made it to the final.

“But we have to recognise that our threats don’t just come from England, the big one will come from Barcelona.”

Barcelona won the Champions League in 2006 when then coach Frank Rijkaard put together a team renowned for their attacking football.

However, Ferguson said current Barca boss Pep Guardiola had bolstered the Catalan club’s defence.

“I’m not sure they have improved a lot from when we played them last season but they have had a better defensive record since Guardiola took over as coach last year,” Ferguson said.

“Gerard Pique, for instance, left us to go back there and has done really well for them. We always knew of his abilities — good talent, mobility and a winning mentality — so I think he’s improved them.

“They got off to a great start to the season and it wasn’t until January that they hit a blip and that happens to everyone. They’re over that now, so they’ll be the threat.”

The first legs of the Champions League quarter-finald are due to be played on April 7 and 8. — AFP

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/4/1/sports/3599404&sec=sports