The Best Images From Barcelona's Champions League Victory

 After finishing up the match report of Barcelona's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League final, I realized that this amazing victory deserves two posts. And so, because my "Best Images from..." compilations (Manchester City's FA Cup win and Real Madrid's Copa del Rey win) were so popular, I've decided to make one for this Barcelona victory.



Here are some of the best images from Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Manchester United. Congratulations to FC Barcelona for winning the trophy in beautiful style. I hope you enjoy this latest set of photos.

The Champions League trophy waits for the match to start as Wembley stadium fills up.

A close-up of the beautiful trophy, to be lifted by the European champions.

After a strong start by United, Barcelona eased into possession and scored the opener with Pedro.

The Spaniard ran off to celebrate...

with an overjoyed Dani Alves.

Rooney equalized soon after, celebrating with Evra.

As the first half finishes, the two coaches ponder the 1-1 scoreline.

In the second half Messi smashed a low shot past Edwin van der Saar to make it 2-1.

As the Dutch keeper complains to his defence... 

Messi runs off to celebrate.

A brilliant goal scored by a brilliant player.

David Villa scored the third goal with a beautiful curling shot.

Villa's effort was untouchable as Edwin van der Saar tried his best.

The final whistle sounds as Pique and Abidal have a celebratory hug.

Champagne is sprayed as Javier Hernandez walks off dejectedly. 

At the end of the match, three of the scorers in the match shake hands.

Edwin van der Saar's last game wasn't his best.

Guardiola is launched into the air by his players.

Barcelona let Abidal lift the trophy first, a wonderful moment for the fullback.

Staff and players celebrate with the trophy.

Guardiola lifts his second Champions League trophy as a coach

As Gerard Pique steals the net...

David Villa celebrates with the trophy.

Barca's players and staff dance around the trophy in the center circle.

Man of the match Lionel Messi smiles with the gleaming trophy as he lets us know that he has won it three times now.

Barcelona Win Champions League With 3-1 Domination

Barcelona have won their fourth Champions League. It's their second in the past three years, and it was won with an amazing display of dominance. While Manchester United offered some resistance in the first half, by the end of the match we saw why Barcelona's ideal style of playing is loved by so many around the world.



The match started with Manchester United piling on the pressure. Sir Alex Ferguson had obviously prepared his players to disrupt Barcelona's passing in the first ten minutes, and while they did that well, they weren't able to keep the work rate up throughout the entire game. Yet the first few minutes looked shaky for the blaugrana. The passes were off their mark, players seemed slow to react, and the ball wasn't in their possession as they wanted it to be. The central defensive partnership of Pique and Mascherano wasn't looking very solid, especially against an energetic Hernandez and a fiery Rooney.



While United pushed well their strong spell soon ended, and Barcelona became familiar with keeping the ball. Slowly, Barca made their way up the field, always keeping the ball from a now tired Manchester United team. Xavi and Iniesta were both brilliant in their display of passing, each one weaving magnificent attacks together with their pinpoint passing. The Barcelona system was slowly beginning to tear Manchester United apart. David Villa was distracting the defence, Messi was mesmerizing the crowd, and Pedro got the first goal.

Rooney celebrates his equalizer

Xavi's lightning quick through ball arrived perfectly for Pedro to control, and then slot past Edwin van der Saar for the opening goal. Manchester United had given Xavi too much time with the ball at his feet, and everyone seemingly forgot about Pedro, except Xavi. The 27th minute opener seemed fitting as the possession stats constantly rose towards Barcelona's favour.



But United flared up with a reaction. Their incessant pressing returned as they were able to put Mascherano, the weak link of the Barca machine, under pressure. Rooney spearheaded the attack, and a quick pair of passes between him and Javier Hernandez put the Barcelona defence into a bit of trouble as United equalized. Hernandez's square ball to Rooney was perfect for the Englishman to slap into the Barcelona net in the 34th minute. But Barcelona weren't very worried. They kicked off and continued playing, coming close to scoring several times before the halftime whistle blew.



In the second half, Barcelona's passing was the spectacle. It's difficult to explain how instrumental Xavi and Iniesta were in just about anything Barcelona did. The two players were omnipresent, keeping possession, and winning the ball back with immediate pressure if they lost it. Abidal was also immense for Barcelona. His shifting to the center of the defence when Dani Alves pushed forward allowed Barcelona to play with three at the back, giving the team plenty of players when going forward. It's his movement and cover which allowed the Barcelona system to seamlessly operate.

Villa celebrating his goal which sealed the final at 3-1

When the pieces fit perfectly in the system, individual brilliance can shine through. Lionel Messi who had been brought down by a frustrated Valencia plenty of times, decided to make his mark on the game. A darting run through the middle of the field was topped off with a low finish past the United keeper. The goal was magnificent, and the Argentine showed us yet again why we should be lauding him as the best player in the game.



After Messi's amazing winner, David Villa produced some magic as well. In the 70th minute he stopped the ball on the edge of United's box and curled the ball into the top-right corner. It was a magnificent goal which even if Edwin van der Saar tried to stop it, he had no chance of touching the perfectly placed ball.



From here, Barcelona gave the world a lesson in passing and pressing. Josep Guardiola's ideal style of play materialized itself beautifully on the field, with Xavi as the professor, showing us all the importance of passing. And as the clock ticked away, Manchester United almost resigned themselves to the loss. While Sir Alex Ferguson tried putting in Nani to inject some pace and renewed fight, the Portuguese winger was unable to motivate his teammates. Barcelona on the other hand substituted Keita, Puyol, and Afellay in the final five minutes, as Scholes was also subbed on for United.

Abidal lifting the trophy for Barcelona. A wonderful touch by the Spanish club to let him lift the trophy first.

It was a final well disputed, but Barcelona's brilliance was unstoppable. Manchester United did their best in the first minutes, trying to contain Xavi and Iniesta, but the pair of Spaniards were unfazed. Their passing was what gave Barcelona the majority of possession (68% Barcelona, 32% Manchester United). This 3-1 victory has helped define a team which stands the test of time, and can be considered the greatest club side in at least the past ten years. Congratulations to FC Barcelona for the amazing victory.

Udinese Reach Champions League Football for Next Season

While the Serie A has lost its next season fourth Champions League spot to the German Bundesliga, next season will be the last one in which we'll have the chance to see four Italian teams in Europe's top competition. Udinese have made it to the Serie A's fourth Champions League spot, just edging ahead of Lazio thanks to a superior goal difference.

Udinese's season has been a fantastic one thanks to their attacking style of play brought by their coach Francesco Guidolin. The tactician imprinted an expansive style of "pass and move" which earned Udinese the nickname piccolo-Barca, which translates to "little Barca". And just like how Barcelona have Leo Messi, Udinese have their own magical goalscorer, Antonio Di Natale. The 33 year-old captain of Udinese scored 28 goals in the Serie A for Udinese, earning the top goalscorer award in Italy for the second season running.

Udinese coach Guidolin embracing Di Natale

Every hero has a sidekick, and Di Natale's is the Chilean, Alexis Sanchez. With 12 goals in the Serie A this season, Sanchez has terrorized defences with his speed and dribbling. His creativity and versatility allowed Guidolin to pair him with Di Natale, forming an unparalleled attacking couple. Yet Sanchez will most likely be moving away from Udine in the summer, as his talent has caught the eye of Manchester City, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and many other top European clubs. 

What makes Sanchez special is the fact that he is a complete forward. He can be played on either wing of a 4-3-3, as a forward in a 4-4-2, or even as a trequartista or attacking midfielder in a formation like the 4-3-1-2. Not only can Sanchez dribble by just about any defender with his trickery and change of pace, but he also has great vision for picking out passes and creating assists. At just 22 years-old, Sanchez has plenty of time to develop, and can easily become a star of the modern game if used in the proper system.

While Udinese has been reliant on this duo for goals, what has helped Guidolin's fight to achieve Champions League football is the unity in the team. It's said that at the beginning of the season he invited every player, one by one, to his house for a hearty dinner, where he got to know each one and let them know of their importance in Udinese's Serie A campaign. This unity shines through in a team which really plays as an organism. The One-touch passing has cut through so many Serie A defences, and their tireless speed with which they attack has been a huge problem for many opponents. 

Alexis Sanchez will probably join a 'bigger' club next season

Of course, this unit has some very key parts which make it function properly. Armero has run players ragged on the flanks, and has attracted the interest of AC Milan which could make a move for him in the summer. Cristian Zapata has been a rock in Udinese's three-man defence, and could be a bargain for any sides looking for a strong and physical central defender. The mastermind in midfield for Udinese has been Gokhan Inler, his wide range of passing, and long range shooting has helped score and create goals. But maybe the true unsung hero for Udinese has been the goalkeeper, Samir Handanovic. The Slovenian keeper has been a wall, saving at least six penalties in the Serie A, and producing spectacular saves to keep Udinese's Champions League dream alive. 

Now Udinese will have to hold on to their many stars, including maybe even their coach. While Francesco Guidolin would surely love to take Udinese to the Champions League next season, if he is stripped of his best players and is left with little to work with, we could see him move to a different Serie A club next season. While this season has been a fantastic one full of great memories and brilliant playing by Udinese, an even better one is yet to come, where the loveable city of Udine can chase European glory.

Messi Double Brings Barcelona Closer to Wembley Final

Messi scored a magnificent double at the Bernabeu

Clasicos are always quite a lot of fun. While often there isn't too much football played due to scuffles, pre-match press room mind games, and the ridiculous amount of red cards often handed out, the football which is played is often brilliant. It was Lionel Messi again, scoring two goals the second more beautiful than the first. While Mourinho might be trying to steal the spotlight with conspiracy rants, it's impossible to take away from Messi's magical second goal which helps secure Barcelona's spot in the Champions League final.

It's best to start at the beginning with this match, as there was plenty of action. Mourinho organized his Real Madrid side to stifle the match in the best way possible. A tight midfield trio of Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso, and Pepe was prepared to shut anything down which Xavi and his teammates tried to create. While their job was to shut down midfield passing, they were also set up to stop Lionel Messi. Mourinho also chose to play Ronaldo as a lone striker, and while the greased up Portuguese player moaned, Adebayor replaced Ozil at halftime to give Ronaldo something to work with.

But in the first half Barcelona didn't fall in Mourinho's tactical trap. Guardiola must have predicted a defensive display from Real (I know, what a surprise), and therefore ordered his players to practice passing. The blaugrana kept the ball, passing around the Real Madrid bunker in little triangles and other geometrical patterns. 

The match wasn't all passing around. Because Real Madrid were constantly chasing the ball, there were plenty of late tackles and interventions which broke up the match and helped tension rise in the Santiago Bernabeu. At halftime a scuffle on the field almost finished in a fight, and referee Wolfgang Stark awarded a red card to Barcelona's substitute keeper Pinto. The first of the match.

In the second half Real Madrid now had the big frame of Adebayor to hit long balls to, whenever they got possession. But the match took a forseeable turn in the 61st minute when Pepe came flying in, studs up onto Dani Alves's leg. The Brazilian was spun around before he hit the ground, crumpled in pain holding his leg. The referee produced an immediate red card, leaving Real Madrid yet again with only ten men to play the match with. Mourinho's sarcastic clapping earned him an expulsion along with a free seat in the stands. From there he (not-so) secretly slipped notes with information through people to his assistant coach, who made the necessary tactical adjustments so that they wouldn't be completely humiliated.

Tricky Jose...

Fifteen minutes after Pepe saw red, Messi made his permanent mark on the match. Substitute Afellay received the ball out wide on the right wing, and a low cross to Messi was tapped in through Iker Casillas's legs. While the goal didn't exude the usual brilliance which Messi's goals do, it was still a breathtaking moment, and it makes you wonder, did he mean to nutmeg Casillas? 

About ten minutes later the Bernabeu witnessed brilliance in its purest form. Messi took the ball from Xavi, running alone at the line of four Real Madrid defenders. He runs by the midfield duo of Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra, skips past a defender, then another, around a third, keeps going all alone until he's right in front of Casillas and then deftly slots it into the bottom corner. Words truly cannot describe the sheer magnificence of this goal.

Messi dancing past the Real Madrid backline before scoring the second goal of the match

It was over. Not just the match, but the tie seems finished as well. While Real Madrid will put up a fight at the Camp Nou, this decisive 2-0 victory seems to have shown that for this season at least, Barcelona are the best in Spain. Thanks to Messi, Barcelona have defeated their rivals yet again, and are now much closer to the Champions League final at Wembley.