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Champions League Final in Madrid just a goal away

Barça put in a near perfect Champions League campaign until they reached the semi finals when eventual champions Inter bustled them out of the competition. Just a single goal separated Guardiola’s team from the much longed for 2nd consecutive final.

The reigning champions were drawn in the toughest qualifying group alongside three league winners: the Italian champs Inter, Rubin Kazan from Russia and the Ukranians Dynamo Kiev.

Exciting Group

It turned out to be a thrilling group right till the very last game. Barca’s first match in Milan, a goalless draw, saw Eto’o, Ibra and Maxwell revisit the teams they’d starred for the season before, whilst the 2-0 win against Dynamo Kiev in the next game gave the Barca fans plenty of reasons to be confident their team would reach the next round. However, an unexpected defeat at home to Rubin Kazan(1-2) meant that the group was still tight after three games.

Another goalless draw away to Rubin in freezing conditions prefaced what looked likely to be the deciding game as Inter came to Barca on November 24th. Even though Ibra and Messi were both missing, the team put in a brilliant first half performance to see off the Italians 2-0 and the 1-2 win over Dynamo in the final game confirmed Barca’s top spot in the group.

Stuttgart

As the team prepared for the World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi, the draw was made for eth first knock out round and Barca were paired with Stuttgart, who were at that moment struggling in the German League. By the time the tie was played though, the Germans had turned their season around and they held Barca to a 1-1 draw in Stuttgart before succumbing 4-0 in the second leg.

Messi, Messi, Messi and Messi!

The quarter finals saw two of the best passing teams in Europe go head to head as Barca came up against Arsene Wenger’s young Arsenal team. The first half of the game at the Emirates was possibly the best 45 minutes football the team played all season and although the Gunners showed character to fight back to 2-2, the advantage was clearly Barca’s as the teams headed into the return game at the Nou Camp. With a tremendous individual display, Leo Messi took the team through to the semis with all four goals as the team came back from going behind early on to win 4-1.

Inter break Nou Camp hearts

With the final set to be played in Madrid, the Barca fans were licking their lips at the prospect of a second successive final, this time at the home of their great Spanish rivals. First though, Inter Milan had to be beaten again, but a series of circumstances – a long coach journey due to the volcanic ash cloud, some dubious refereeing decisions and a below par performance, saw the Italians win 3-1 in Milan. Barca needed a great comeback in the second leg and the Nou Camp was at its vociferous best as Guardiola’s men attacked and attacked as they tried to break down the Inter defence, but Mourinho’s team gave a classic display of defending and only a late Pique goal gave the fans some hope with even that proving not to be enough as Inter went through 3-2 on aggregate.