That was a great strike by Pedro in the match against Almeria, and Barça certainly deserved the win against a side more concerned with man-to-man defense than actually playing. It's saying a lot when other sides (even ones like Chelsea and Inter) are reduced to defensive platforms when pitted against FC Barcelona. They cannot hope to match the attacking prowess of the Catalan club. It's not even given serious consideration. 

Some might argue that money has played a role in seeing the Blaugrana become the team to beat in European football, and there is some truth to that, but let's not go overboard with the idea, okay? For starters, count how many players are on the squad who come from their youth academy, La Masía. Let's see, there's Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Piqúe, Valdés, Puyol, Busquets, Pedro and Jeffrens. Oh, and...

If the Spanish media has their story right--and that's always a big if--it looks like we could get David Villa. But only if we loan Krkic, along with Caceres, for a year to Los Che. Sounds good to me. The Uruguayan will likely get some quality time on the field as will Bojan, and that can only be a good thing. One year's time and both will be back in the blaugrana fold with some respectable experience under their belts. Seems to me a case of having your cake and eating it too. Win-win. Yet, rumor has it Barcelona don't want to loan out Krkic. What? Why?

I just don't get that. Pep used Bojan very sparingly last season, a likely indication the coach wasn't quite convinced of the young man's 'qualities'. And, now they don't want to loan him out for next season? Very strange. Assuming Eto'o and Henry both leave and Villa...

I know I should just let it go, but this sort of rubbish irritates. What am I talking about?

• CL Victory Doesn't Make Barcelona Coach Guardiola The World's Best - Marcello Lippi

• Barcelona Did Not Deserve To Beat Chelsea - Cristiano Ronaldo

I've gone over some of the recent articles on the match, and in the other room can be heard Sky Sports as they repeatedly dissect tonight's game. Considering all the hype this past week or so one would've thought that the Catalan club had their work cut out for them, and that it was Man Utd's to lose. What people should've been paying attention to though were the odds being given by the betting sites. That suggested a far more level impression of how this Champions League Final might go. In the end even their assessment may have been generous to the Premiership club, because except for those first ten minutes of the match, FC Barcelona owned the pitch.

Hell, it went even better than I expected. At the whistle, as I sat nervously, stuffing my mouth with popcorn at breakneck pace, it looked like the guys in white were...

As tensions rise worldwide with the approach of the Champions League Final, inquiring minds want to know: what's up with Yaya Toure? In a recent article he was quoted as stating that CR7 was better than LM10:

“For now, Ronaldo is No 1.

“He has so much power - just look at the goal he scored against Arsenal from 50m.

“And he is quick with the ball at his feet and strong in the air.”

I don't know about you, but I take umbrage to that assessment. Ronaldo better than Messi? I don't think so. Messi might not be better than R...

With Los Merengues' loss to the Yellow Submarine, Barça have now attained the Double this season. Yes, that's great and all, but it's not historic. Others have done the Double before, including FCB in 05/06. But, the Treble, now that's a whole other kettle of fish. Nobody's done the Treble in La Liga. Ever. On 27 May the Blaugrana will have their shot at history when they meet Manchester United.

It should prove to be a very tough match against a fast, skillful attacking side with a manager of no small tactical acumen. Iniesta and Henry are working hard to be fit for the Champions League final, but one has to assume the worst on that subject. It's all about preparation now with 13 days to achieve as much. La Liga is in the bag now, so Guardiola can afford to rest his top players. Caceres was in the Mallorca match, and though...

The Blaugrana looked tired in the Villarreal match, which really isn't surprising. These last 2 weeks have been brutal, the battles with Chelsea sandwiching El Clasico, and it's taken its toll as well. Marquez and Henry were injured in the CL matches, while Abidal and Alves will be missing for certain on 27 May due to a red and yellow card, respectively. Iniesta picked up another injury in the La Liga match this last weekend too.

 Well, all I can say is it could've been worse, and one has to reflect on the wisdom of Guardiola's rotation policy throughout the season and be thankful. The first team is a relatively small one and we've been fortunate to have spent the majority of the campaign with a healthy side. It was bound to happen,...

I'm in complete agreement with Nic in his blog post on the whole Chelsea-Barcelona semi-final tie. Very ironic that what was ridiculed as the 'moaning' of a team unable to handle the manly game, transforms into a conspiracy theory when the tables are turned. Hypocritical, don't you think? Chelsea gave a very impressive show of it, and asked some serious questions of the Blaugrana--questions that need to be addressed by 27 May. That aside, the postgame response from Chelsea can be ignored, since they themselves have remarked that in the end all that matters is who wins. So ... we win! Buh bye, Blues! Might I suggest something to aid you Chelsea types as you reflect on past events during the long summer ...

Barça dominated possession, while Chelsea dominated most of the game. This due to an amazing 'Hail Mary' volley from Essien in the 9th minute that nailed Barcelona's goal in the top left corner (which was disturbingly reminiscent of Scholes' shot last tournament). It was launched from outside the box off an arcing deflection from a Lampard kick. Definitely considered an unlucky blow for the Blaugrana, but thankfully it was early in the match.

The Chelsea I saw tonight was more the one I remember as they did come out more often on the counter than last leg. They were extremely organized in defense, keeping Barça away from their goal with great effectiveness. Things didn't really change much after the restart except for the fact that Abidal was sent off with a straight red for a perceived trip of Anelka. I didn't see it and...