Soccer - European Champions League: Barcelona can strike seemingly at will - Grahame L.Jones
Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o give the club a formidable attack and make it the favorite to win the European Champions League title. Messi, Henry and Eto'o have combined to make Barcelona the most dynamic and the most feared soccer team on the planet, never mind what Manchester United or Inter Milan or anyone else might say. Together, they have helped Barcelona score more goals than any other team in Europe this season. The three have scored more goals than any other top-flight team. Barcelona, however, is more than simply a trio of high-scoring strikers. Its midfield boasts the Spanish creative attacking duo of Xavi, the most valuable player at Euro 2008, and Andres Iniesta. Its defense features the world's top right back, attack-minded Daniel Alves of Brazil.
All of this suggests that Barcelona will hold aloft the Champions League trophy May 27 in Rome and bask in the club's third European Cup title after similar victories in 1992 and 2006. But, discounting Bayern Munich, there are six other teams still more or less alive in what is unquestionably soccer's most fixating club tournament. But as Henry said, that is looking too far ahead. "In the Champions League, one bad performance -- or even a bad 10 minutes -- can put you out," he said. "We've won nothing yet."
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