Champion's League Final: Messi seals emphatic win

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Manchester United

Manchester United discovered what it is like to lose a European Cup final as brilliant Barcelona ruled Rome on Wednesday, securing a comfortable 2-0 win.
If there is any consolation in failure to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era, it is that they lost to a side as fluent and brilliant to watch as they are.

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Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi scored the goals either side of half-time but to single those two out for special praise would be unfair on their team-mates, and particularly Xavi, who was simply awesome.

For once Cristiano Ronaldo could provide no magic of his own, instead getting increasingly frustrated as defeat loomed.

It was a shame really. Although having done so much damage to others down the years, he does now know how it feels.

Twenty four hours earlier, Sir Alex Ferguson had spoken of reaching into the far corners of his brain for an inspiring word or two prior to kick-off.

As half-time approached, that same grey matter might have preferred a word or two about Barcelona's performance.

Sublime would have been one. Bewitching, mesmerising would do equally as well. For a football man like Ferguson it would have been a joy to watch if his side were not the ones trying to stop it.

The kind of football that allowed the Catalans to hit six goals past Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium last month was not in evidence for the first eight minutes or so as United held sway.

However, once it began to emerge, Ferguson's side had precious few answers.

The shape of the contest might have been so different had Park Ji-sung been able to snaffle the rebound after Victor Valdes had failed to hold a stinging Ronaldo free-kick.

Instead, former United man Gerard Pique shot across to block what proved to be his old club's best opportunity of that opening period.

Like his team, Ronaldo was clearly in the ascendancy in his personal duel with Messi.

How rapidly things changed. In the twinkling of an eye Andres Iniesta, one of the brightest starts in the Barcelona firmament, slipped a pass to Eto'o.

The Cameroon striker cut inside Nemanja Vidic, then held off Michael Carrick as he prodded the ball goalward with enough strength to take it past Edwin van der Sar.

Suddenly the strategy of containment and hitting at pace on the counter-attack suggested by the inclusion of Park and the exclusion of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov did not look such a good idea.

Ferguson's team shot across the pitch, able to do little more than firefight as Messi, Iniesta and Xavi lit bonfires all around.

Had a Messi flick found Eto'o in the area, it would have probably brought Barcelona's second. Rio Ferdinand's agility saved his team.

Xavi curled a free-kick just wide, Vidic pumped the ball away after Van der Sar had failed to hold a cross shot, the slick passing wearing United down all the while.

The arrival of Tevez at half-time had to come, and with it a more overtly offensive approach.

Yet in taking such bold action, Ferguson knew he was playing right into Barcelona's hands.

Xavi picked out Thierry Henry with a brilliant pass. The former Arsenal star cut inside Ferdinand with ease but could not find the finish, a similar mistake to the one that proved so costly for Arsenal in Paris three years ago.

When Xavi saw his free-kick come thumping back off a post, memories of 1999 and the mauling United nearly took at the hands of Bayern Munich sprang to mind.

Yet this was different. Ferguson's team were poor until the unforgettable ending. This time they were simply ripped apart by the only team on the planet who can match them.

The introduction of Berbatov midway through the second half was effectively Ferguson throwing his book of tactics out of the window and not worry about the consequences if it all went wrong.

Sadly it did. Quite quickly as Xavi's curling cross dropped perfectly for Messi, who guided his header over Van der Sar.

Ronaldo's world player of the year crown was slipping and Valdes managed to get in the way of a close-range effort that would have given United some hope, as would the volley from Berbatov that followed.

Berbatov had another chance too, although by then Carles Puyol had seen two efforts saved by Van der Sar.

In truth, the Dutchman was his side's best player, which just about says it all.

La Liga: Barca crowned champions

Click Here for AnswersBarcelona won their 19th Primera Liga title without kicking a ball on Saturday when Real Madrid lost 3-2 at Villarreal.

Two-time reigning champions Real Madrid relinquished their Primera Division crown to arch rivals Barcelona tonight after slumping to defeat at Villarreal.

Lying eight points behind pacesetters Barca with three games remaining, Madrid needed to win at El Madrigal to keep the title race alive - at least until Pep Guardiola's men met Real Mallorca tomorrow.

But goals from Robert Pires, Ruben Cani and Joan Capdevila cancelled out efforts from Madrid duo Rafael Van der Vaart and Gonzalo Higuain to give Villarreal a much-needed boost in their hunt for a Champions League spot and hand Barca the title.

Madrid found themselves trailing in the 16th minute. The 32-year-old Ariel Ibagaza created the chance as he made ground down the left before whipping in a cross, and the 35-year-old Pires finished the chance off with a thumping header from near the penalty spot.

With their already faint title hopes slipping further away, that goal seemed to knock the wind out of Madrid and they looked a side devoid of ideas for most of the remainder of the first half as Villarreal dominated proceedings.

Madrid coach Juande Ramos had seen enough and at half-time he replaced the ineffectual Klaas Jan Huntelaar with top scorer Gonzalo Higuain, and the move paid almost immediate dividends.

A deep cross from Miguel Torres picked out Higuain at the far post and the Argentinian's first-time pass across the face of goal allowed Van der Vaart the easiest of tap-ins as the Villarreal defence was nowhere to be seen.

However, the visitors could not build on that and the hosts re-took the lead in the 62nd minute through Cani.

Madrid centre-back Fabio Cannavaro's attempt at cutting out a cross saw the ball fall kindly into the Cani's path and the number 10 lashed a first-time shot past Casillas.

Ramos' men then gave themselves a lifeline when Higuain netted in the 88th minute.

Higuain looked to be standing well offside when he picked up Raul's half-blocked shot, but the flag stayed down and the young striker slotted past Lopez.

There was to be no fairytale finale for Madrid though as two minutes later Capdevila scored the goal that finally ended their title hopes.

Casillas made a mess of trying to catch Nihat's corner, and Capdevila could barely believe his luck as the ball dropped at his feet and all he had to do was poke it over the line.

Sevilla and Deportivo Coruna's European aspirations were dented when they were both held to draws by sides fighting to avoid relegation in the Primera Liga on Saturday.

Third-placed Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to Osasuna with the Andalucians on the back foot for much of the game.

Both sides hit the crossbar and after Sevilla had Ndri Romaric sent off near the end, Osasuna defender Sergio Fernandez soon followed.

Sevilla move five points clear of fourth on to 64 points in their bid to secure the third automatic Champions League qualification place.

Later on Saturday, leaders Barcelona (86 points) could be crowned champions without kicking a ball if Real Madrid (78) fail to beat Villarreal at the Madrigal.

Barca do not visit Real Mallorca until Sunday.

Deportivo remain sixth with 57 points after their striker Ivan Riki scored a late equaliser against his former club Getafe for a 1-1 home draw.

Roberto Soldado had headed the visitors in front just after the restart.

Getafe are 14th with 38 points, one more than Osasuna and four above the relegation zone.

Barcelona beat Athletic to lift 25th Copa del Rey

COPA DEL REY FINAL

Three goals in a devastating nine-minute spell at the start of the second half saw Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday and the first of three possible titles.

Barcelona celebrate during the 4-1 win
Yaya Toure levelled for Barca in the first half before Lionel Messi, Bojan Krkic and Xavi struck after the break to give the club their 25th Copa del Rey.

The Catalans could wrap up the Primera Liga title this weekend and they face Manchester United in the Champions League final on May 27.

"Now we are reaping the rewards of all the hard work we have put in during the season," Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets told Spanish state television as the team celebrated on the pitch.

"I hope this weekend we can secure our second title."

Barca had an unfamiliar look in defence with reserve keeper Jose Manuel Pinto in goal and Yaya Toure at centre back again, and they were quickly exposed at a set piece.

Pinto had tipped a Javi Martinez shot round the post and Fran Yeste made it count. His whipped-in corner after nine minutes found Gaizka Toquero rising above two defenders to head in at the back post.

Athletic looked fresher, snapping at Barca all over the pitch, until Toure stepped up to level in spectacular fashion as he advanced out of defence.

The Ivory Coast midfielder went past three Bilbao players in the 31st minute, and from outside the area drilled a low shot inside the near post.

Gradually Barca asserted themselves and as they swarmed round the Bilbao area in the 55th minute it was Messi who struck, firing through a crowd of legs after Gorka Iraizoz could only parry Samuel Eto'o's shot.

Three minutes later, Bojan raced through on a break to score off the far post and with Bilbao reeling Xavi curled a superb freekick over the wall and in off the near post in the 64th.

Just before Xavi's goal the match was held up briefly after Barcelona defender Daniel Alves was hit on the head by a tin can thrown from the stands.

Alves was able to continue and television pictures showed police leading a fan away.

Athletic were a broken team after that, but earn a place in next season's Europa League with Barca's place in the Champions League assured for next year.

Champion's League: Iniesta's late heartbreaker

Chelsea 1 - 1 Barcelona
2ND LEG: 1 - 1 (Agg)

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Ten-man Barcelona robbed Chelsea of a place in the Champions League final in the cruellest of fashions with a 93rd-minute away goal at Stamford Bridge.
A stunning first-half volley from Michael Essien looked to have earned Chelsea victory and set up a repeat of last year's Champions League final against Manchester United.

But Andres Iniesta beat Petr Cech in the third minute of added time to send the Spanish bench and their fans delirious and leave Guus Hiddink crestfallen.
At the final whistle, Chelsea's players confronted referee Tom Ovrebo, who had waved away at least four penalty appeals during the game.

The scenes descended into anger when Drogba emerged from the tunnel to confront the Norwegian official and was shown a yellow card.
Ovrebo had a poor game and was marshalled down to the tunnel by Chelsea stewards as Drogba continued to complain about his performance.
The Ivorian then vented his fury by shouting "it's a f***ing disgrace'' down the lens of a TV camera, and the fall-out from Drogba's behaviour may yet be met by a UEFA investigation.
It had all looked so promising for Chelsea when Essien, who missed six months of the season while he recovered from a serious knee ligament injury, despatched a 20-yard volley beyond the despairing Victor Valdes.

Chelsea's collective desire to reach the final once more was epitomised in the way they took the fire out of Barcelona's early football.

The Catalans, missing their two first-choice centre-backs through injury and suspension, played some neat, fast and accurate football in the first 20 minutes.
It was a perfect example of the beautiful game mastered by coach Pep Guardiola but it lacked the cutting edge in the absence of the injured Thierry Henry.

The Barca attack has shared more than 90 goals between them this season but Chelsea managed to prevent them scoring in 180 minutes of high-tempo football.
That Chelsea scored with their first real attack of the game would have left the Barca coach bitterly disappointed.

Frank Lampard's attempted cross cannoned off Yaya Toure and Essien despatched his volley into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
It sparked Chelsea into life and, for the remainder of the opening half, they bossed the game.
Lampard almost put Drogba through in the 22nd minute but Valdes managed to beat the Ivorian to the ball on the edge of the penalty area.
Barca were rocking now and a catalogue of fouls by Dani Alves was finally punished with a yellow card when he brought down Ashley Cole. It meant the full-back was out of the final.
But Ovrebo waved away penalty appeals from Chelsea when Drogba, a colossus in attack all night, was brought down by Eric Abidal.
The second half promised more drama and it did not disappoint. Drogba missed a gilt-edged chance when Florent Malouda and Anelka put the Ivorian clear in the 52nd minute.

Somehow, Valdes got a foot to his shot to keep Barca's hopes alive.
But the Catalans were in deep trouble in the 65th minute when Abidal brought down the free-running Anelka and, as the last defender, was shown the red card.
Chelsea continued to take the initiative as Barca were reduced to long-range shots.
In the 70th minute, Valdes saved Guardiola's side again when a Lampard shot took a wicked deflection.

But two minutes later Drogba was replaced by Juliano Belletti, much to the crowd's surprise and the Ivorian's clear disapproval.
As the clock ran down, Chelsea continued to pour forward in search of a decisive second to calm the nerves but, although they had made Barcelona look very ordinary, there was a sting in the tail.

Chelsea's heroes had fought for every ball as if their lives depended on it but they allowed Iniesta too much room and, when he beat Cech from 20 yards in the 93rd minute, chaos descended on Stamford Bridge.
But there was still time for more drama when Michael Ballack's goalbound effort seemed to hit a defender's arm only for Ovrebo to wave away more appeals.
Ballack was shown the yellow card for protesting and, when the final whistle sounded, Barca celebrated in unbridled fashion while Chelsea's players began their attacks on Ovrebo.

It was an unsavoury end to Chelsea's European campaign that may yet have further repercussions for the English side.

Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen Theatrical Trailer #2

Here's the second trailer released by the Dreamworks for this coming Transformer 2 movie.

Enjoy!

La Liga: Barcelona humiliate Real

Real Madrid 2 - 6 Barcelona

Barcelona took a giant step towards winning the Primera Division title after crushing arch rivals and nearest challengers Real Madrid in stunning fashion at the Bernabeu.

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Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi both netted braces while Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique were also on the scoresheet as Pep Guardiola's treble-chasers inflicted a first league defeat on in-form Madrid since beating the reigning champions at the Nou Camp in December.

Madrid had picked up 52 points from a possible 54 since that match, but their hopes of a third successive title now look sunk after they fell seven points adrift of Barca with only four games remaining.

Barca, who also hold the better head-to-head record against their rivals, can now clinch the title next weekend if they beat Villarreal and Madrid lose to Valencia.

In last season's corresponding fixture Barca had a night to forget, starting with the chastening experience of giving hosts Madrid a guard of honour and applauding them onto the pitch for having just won the league, and ending with a 4-1 hammering.

It was a completely different story tonight, though they needed to bounce back from an early deficit as Madrid went ahead inside 14 minutes through Gonzalo Higuain.

Sergio Ramos sent over a cross from the right and Higuain rose unmarked to head home his 19th league goal of the season to send the Bernabeu wild.

Barca need not have worried though as within six minutes of that goal they had turned the game on its head with strikes from Henry and Puyol.

The lively Henry drew Barca level in the 18th minute when Ramos failed to cut out Lionel Messi's through-ball and the Frenchman coolly rolled his shot past Iker Casillas.

Henry was also involved in the goal that put Barca ahead soon after, winning a free-kick to the left of the area that Xavi curled into the area where the unmarked Puyol headed home inside the near post.

It was a two-minute spell which could have helped decide the title, as after that turnaround Barca went into overdrive.

The visitors rode their luck briefly when goalkeeper Victor Valdes did well to deny Arjen Robben, but otherwise it was home custodian Casillas who was under the cosh.

He produced three superb saves to deny Lionel Messi (twice) and Samuel Eto'o in the space of six minutes as Barca repeatedly swept through the home defence.

Casillas could do nothing to prevent Messi putting Barca 3-1 up in the 35th minute though after Madrid committed defensive suicide.

Lassana Diarra was caught in possession by Xavi deep inside Madrid territory, and with the home side's backline nowhere in the vicinity, Messi had all the time in the world to collect the ball, stroll into the area and slide a low shot past Casillas.

That was a bitter blow for Madrid after seemingly weathering the worst of the Barca storm, but it was no more than Guardiola's side deserved.

Barca continued to look the more likely to get another goal as well, with Dani Alves testing Casillas with a long-range free-kick just before the break before Iniesta went close at the start of the second half.

It was actually Madrid who would find the breakthrough though thanks to Ramos.

Iniesta was adjudged to have fouled Robben just outside the box, and from the resulting kick Ramos headed home Robben's cross at the far post to give Madrid a much-needed boost.

That euphoria was to last all of a minute before Henry restored Barca's two-goal advantage.

Xavi picked out the Frenchman's run in behind Ramos and Henry reached the ball before the outreaching Casillas. Madrid fans could only watch in horror as the Barca striker's shot slowly rolled into the net.

That knocked the stuffing out of Madrid, and they were left facing total humiliation after Messi made it 5-2 in the 75th minute, the Argentinian magician picking up a pass from Xavi before beating Casillas at his near post.

The nightmare had not finished there for Madrid though, and Pique wrapped up the scoring eight minutes from time with what was Barca's 100th league goal of the season.

Barca can now look forward to their midweek Champions League semi-final trip to Chelsea confident that they virtually have the Primera Division title wrapped up.

In Saturday's other Spanish games Numancia climbed off the bottom of the league after beating Malaga 2-0, while Seville won 2-0 at Villarreal with Luis Fabiano and Frddie Kanoute scoring the goals.