Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0:Despite being billed as the box office draw between the two best teams in Europe, the 2009 Champions League final failed to deliver in the Eternal City, after only the Spanish champions turned up to produce a sublime performance and ease their way to victory over their English counterparts with goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi.

A memorable performance secured the treble for Barca manager Josep Guardiola after he guided his side to the Copa del Rey and the Primera Liga title in his first season in charge. Neither will taste as a sweet as victory over the club world champions that sees him join five contemporaries as one of the few to have won the cup as a player and a manager.

For his opposite number in the United dugout, it means the frustration of missing the opportunity to retain the title for the first time since AC Milan 19 years ago and -after equalling Liverpool's 18 league titles 10 days ago - failure to emulate the three European Cups won by Bob Paisley.

On the pitch too, there was head to head of sorts, but that contest was also won by the Barca protagonist Messi, whose performance, capped by fantastic second half header that sealed the win, outshone everything Cristiano Ronaldo could muster.

The Argentinean was masterful but he wasn't the only one.

Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez had equally important roles to play in Barcelona's third European Cup win, while the contribution of Eto'o was also crucial. The Cameroonian plundered the first goal with a swift toe poke in the 10th minute to put a stop to some early promise from United, that never returned.

"In fairness we were beaten by the best team. We weren't at our best," said Alex Ferguson afterwards. "The first goal was a killer, it was a bad start to the game. If you give them the ball they will keep it all night.

"But the best part of the game is that in adversity you always move forward quicker.

"We're all disappointed but we're a young team."

The early exchanges were dominated by United, who were looking to protect a 25-match unbeaten run in the tournament, and Ronaldo was given the opportunity to line up a very early free-kick that Victor Valdes could not hold.

Following up, Ji-Sung Park must have thought he was going to score but former United defender Gerard Pique made an excellent tackle to deflect it over the bar.

Like his team, Ronaldo appeared in the ascendancy in his personal duel with Messi, but things rapidly changed when Iniesta slipped a pass to Eto’o, who cut inside Nemanja Vidic, then held off Michael Carrick and prodded the ball goalward with enough strength to take it past Edwin van

der Sar at the near post.

Suddenly the strategy of containment and hitting at pace on the counter-attack suggested by the inclusion of Park and the exclusion of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov did not look such a good idea.

Ferguson’s team shot across the pitch, able to do little more than firefight as Messi, Iniesta and Xavi lit bonfires all around.

Had a Messi flick found Eto’o in the area, it would have probably brought Barcelona’s second. Rio Ferdinand’s agility saved his team.

Xavi curled a free-kick just wide, Vidic pumped the ball away after Van der Sar had failed to hold a cross shot, the slick passing wearing United down all the while.

The arrival of Tevez at half-time had to come, and with it a more overtly offensive approach, yet in taking such bold action, Ferguson knew he was playing right into Barcelona’s hands.

Xavi picked out Thierry Henry with a brilliant pass. The former Arsenal star cut inside Ferdinand with ease but could not find the finish, a similar mistake to the one that proved so costly for Arsenal in Paris three years ago.

When Xavi saw his free-kick come thumping back off a post, memories of 1999 and the mauling United nearly took at the hands of Bayern Munich sprang to mind.

Yet this was different. Ferguson’s team were poor until the unforgettable ending. This time they were simply ripped apart by the only team on the planet who can surpass them for attacking prowess.

The introduction of Berbatov midway through the second half was effectively Ferguson throwing his book of tactics out of the window and not worry about the consequences if it all went wrong.

Sadly it did. Quite quickly as Xavi’s curling cross dropped perfectly for Messi, who guided his header over Van der Sar.

Ronaldo’s world player of the year crown was slipping and Valdes managed to get in the way of a close-range effort that would have given United some hope, as would the volley from Berbatov that followed.

Berbatov had another chance too, although by then Carles Puyol had seen two efforts saved by Van der Sar.

In truth, the Dutchman was his side’s best player, which just about says it all.

"We're the best," Iniesta declared on Canal Plus aftwards. "There are no words to explain this, it was the perfect end to a spectacular season.

"They were the better side for six or seven minutes, but after that we had the game. Perfect."

Captain Carles Puyol added: "This is the last title we were going for and this is an historic season," he said referring to the treble. "After the first ten minutes, when we scored the goal - we mastered it."