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...

Okay, it's a slow start into the 2009/2010 La Liga season for me here on OleOle, but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching matches. Far from it. In fact, I got to attend the Seattle Sounders - Barcelona match way back when, it seems now. That was an enlightening experience on a couple levels.

First off, the fans in Seattle are hard core, both in terms of loyalty to the Sounders and their level of support. I was surprised to see all the green & blue jerseys out in the stadium, easily outnumbering the blaugrana cules. Seattle supporters had their songs ready and belted them out with an organization and intensity that at times matched English football supporters. The immersion factor was most definitely there. I'm pondering getting season tickets for the Sounders next season.

It's been a wild summer of fancy free and foot loose transfer negotiations, but finally--finally!--we have a winner. One Zlatan Ibrahimovic, aka Ibracadabra, the Other Special One, or just plain Ibra. It cost FCB €43.25 million, Eto'o, and the loan of Hleb, but it's a done deal now. Don't ask me what I think of the financial logic of that deal. Seriously. However, I am willing to move on. So, let's do that.

Eto'o is gone. A strange feeling to realize that, but I do agree with Pep that it was for the best of the team. The Cameroon was key for Barça's success last season, but it always felt as if he had something to prove. Every goal Eto'o scored had that feeling about it. Like he was saying, 'See! I told you. Dammit.' That sort of mentality gets old after awhile, and I'm sure it w...

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

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...

We have a big day tomorrow in London. It should go without saying that Chelsea are a bunch of bruisers in a league of bruisers. A place where 'physicality' is given the ol' nudgenudgewinkwink. So, how the hell are we going to respond to that? La Liga is no choir boys' league by any means (and in some ways the fouling is even more cynical), but the difference lies in the interpretation by the officials. In Spain, a borderline tackle can be turned into a foul if the offended player plays it up just right. In England, a borderline infraction will many times be ignored so long as play doesn't appear too disrupted for it. Neither is legitimate, but each is a product of the football culture in each country. The thing is a lot of Europe subscribes to the English game than to the Spanish game. And we are playing in Stamford Bridge. It all comes down to dealing with the physical aspect of the ...

FC Barcelona. When the average person hears that name, they likely think Messi or Eto'o most times. If in my country, the USA, they might just as often think what? but that's a whole other ugly story. But for those more knowledgeable of the club, mention of two names will often draw a knowing nod and grin. Xavi and Iniesta. I like to call them Los Dos, because not only do they add so much to the squad, but they complement one another wonderfully. When only one of the two are on the field, you can sense the absence as soon as Barça move the ball around.

Xavi is Catalan, but Iniesta isn't, hailing from Albacete. Xavi's introduction to FCB was almost a given, but Iniesta's was quite by mistake. If not for a bordello, the man might very well...

And speaking of potholes, I have to say Barça really know how to make the most of 'em. Sheesh. Okay, so maybe it's not their fault for losing 6 points in that little dip in productivity. Blame los Merengues for their own well-timed run of workmanship (think construction workers really), likely the result of seeing a dour Bernd off and a somewhat less dour Juande replacing him (though he did seem pretty dour with Spurs). Overall, though, 6 points is a hefty chunk of insurance to be lost in so short a time.

The good news is that Barcelona look to be back in stride, their wins against Lyon in Champions League and Almeria in La Liga quite convincing in that regard. I mean, Lyon were mauled mercilessly by the Catalan club, and though Almeria only saw the ball go into their net twice the quality of play from the visitors must have been ...