Barcelona won their third Champions League trophy in six years with a deserved 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Wembley.
The English champions were spirited throughout but in the end had no answer to a Barcelona team that plays a brand of football that is unparalleled in the modern game in terms of its majestic simplicity.
Barcelona took the lead in the 28th minute when Xavi's slide-rule pass found Pedro, who wrongfooted Edwin van der Sar by nonchalantly slotting the ball home.
United equalized six minutes later as Wayne Rooney burst forward and played a one-two with Ryan Giggs, who narrowly beat the offside trap, before lashing home beyond Víctor Valdés.
The Catalans regained the lead on 53 minutes when Lionel Messi raced towards United's goal, jinked left to create a yard of space, and then unleashed a blistering drive, which flew past an unsighted van der Sar for his 53rd goal of a jaw-dropping season.
And Barça sealed the victory just shy of the 70-minute mark as United failed to clear after Messi's run and David Villa produced a sensational curling 25-yard shot into the top corner.
"It is one of the best performances because sometimes you make for performances in important games but not important games like this one," said Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.
"We are so happy to win, of course, but we are so, so happy to show to the world our way to play, to keep the ball, to try to attack in front of absolutely one of the best teams of the world."
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who had seen his side comprehensively outplayed by Barcelona in the 2009 final, conceded that Guardiola's men are among the greatest in history.
He told ITV1: "We were beaten, there is no other way to address the situation, by the best team.
"I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team.
"They are the best team we have ever played, they are at the peak in this cycle of their team.
"There was good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that.
"Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those nights."
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| Barcelona players celebrate with the trophy at the end of the Champions League final Photo: Getty Images |
The English champions were spirited throughout but in the end had no answer to a Barcelona team that plays a brand of football that is unparalleled in the modern game in terms of its majestic simplicity.
Barcelona took the lead in the 28th minute when Xavi's slide-rule pass found Pedro, who wrongfooted Edwin van der Sar by nonchalantly slotting the ball home.
United equalized six minutes later as Wayne Rooney burst forward and played a one-two with Ryan Giggs, who narrowly beat the offside trap, before lashing home beyond Víctor Valdés.
The Catalans regained the lead on 53 minutes when Lionel Messi raced towards United's goal, jinked left to create a yard of space, and then unleashed a blistering drive, which flew past an unsighted van der Sar for his 53rd goal of a jaw-dropping season.
And Barça sealed the victory just shy of the 70-minute mark as United failed to clear after Messi's run and David Villa produced a sensational curling 25-yard shot into the top corner.
"It is one of the best performances because sometimes you make for performances in important games but not important games like this one," said Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.
"We are so happy to win, of course, but we are so, so happy to show to the world our way to play, to keep the ball, to try to attack in front of absolutely one of the best teams of the world."
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who had seen his side comprehensively outplayed by Barcelona in the 2009 final, conceded that Guardiola's men are among the greatest in history.
He told ITV1: "We were beaten, there is no other way to address the situation, by the best team.
"I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team.
"They are the best team we have ever played, they are at the peak in this cycle of their team.
"There was good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that.
"Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those nights."
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