The Centre Circle

I will be straight up. Cut me in half and I bleed red and white, but sometimes you have to hold you hands up and admit that the better team won. Barcelona were magnificent over both the two legs. Not only that but tonight, I saw the performance of the best player I have seen in two decades. I am not old enough to have seen Pele live, I saw Diego Maradona cut England and then the rest of the world to ribbons, through gritted teeth in 1986. I enjoyed watching Zidane and Henry in their pomp, however Leo Messi in the form he is right now is truly imperious. As good as I have ever seen, and that is high praise indeed.

Back to the game for what it’s worth. Arsenal dared to dream after 10 minutes,  Diaby robbed Busquets in midfield and played in Walcott. He squared it to Bendtner who at the second attempt poked it home. Two minutes later, a wonder goal. The ball rebounded to Messi on the edge of the box from Silvestre and the little Argentinean lashed an unstoppable shot which flashed past Almunia like a tracer bullet. Stunning. The second goal was started and finished by the little genius. Messi played the ball out to Abidal who was marauding down the left. His cut back was half cleared by Vermaelen, but it fell to Pedro who played in Messi who lifted the ball over the Arsenal keeper.

Two soon became three. Vermaelen lost the ball in midfield and Keita headed the ball through to Messi who bore down on the Arsenal goal before sending a delicious chip over the stranded Almunia for a 21 minute hat-trick – actually (20 mins 56 secs). His fourth and the coup de grace came with a couple of minutes to go in the game. He picked the ball up 40 yards out from Xavi, skipped past Vermaelen, hit a shot that Almunia blocked then smashed the ball under the Arsenal keeper second time out. Game over and the Barcelona fans began to celebrate in reverence to their little hero.

Barcelona now face Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the Semi Final.

All goal highlights below – sorry it’s not in English…