Champs League Semi 2

And as I predicted, Barcelona is through to the final.

Though I expected Barcalona to at least score that home, but nevertheless they are through comfortably. Their goal was rarely threatened, with the defence superbly marshalled by Rafael Marquez and Carlos Puyol. AC Milan, with all their top-name strikers have failed to break down a class act in the Barca defence.

For all the big names the top club in Catalan have, Ronaldinho, Eto'o etc, it was the defence that was a master-class today. Even the most experienced and highly-rated strikers of Shevchenko and Inazghi and the youthful talent of Gillardino barely had a sniff.

In fact, considering that Milan were chasing the tie, Barcelona were the better attacking side, when Eto'o and Ronaldinho were brillantly foiled by Brazillian World Cup 'keeper Dida. With an AC Milan 'keeper and a Barcelona defence on form, it was no surprise it ended 0-0 at the final whistle. Barcelona are through to meet Arsenal, and Milan would have to go back to Italy to realise that they simply weren't good enough.

As for the final in Paris, it's the two teams that have deserved to be there. Barcelona and Arsenal, often hailed as the best two attacking sides in Europe, have often fell short of the top honour in club football. It would be a real spectacle for the neutral. In my opinion, the two best players in the world with flair are Ronaldinho and Henry, and there is a large possibility of both of them sharing the field barring injury.

It would be a great game of football. It would definately drag in more fans than compared to the finals of Juventus VS Milan and Monaco VS Porto in the two seasons before the previous. Be prepared to be entertained! Whoever wins, its a victory for soccer.

For now, congrats to Arsenal and Barcelona for making the final.

source: GettyImages, from soccernet.com