Good afternoon everybody. The match we have all been waiting for is here. Manchester United vs. FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final (2:30pm, ESPN).

The reigning champions from Manchester are back to defend their title against a Barcelona side considered the most dangerous in the world. Barca comes in short-handed, but won't be considered too heavy an underdog with the likes of Messi, Henry, Eto'o and Xavi still in the mix.

I will be providing commentary from now until the end of the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match (lineups after the jump):

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FINAL– There is is, Barcelona lifts the trophy. Great stuff and a wonderful season. Barcelona made soccer fun to watch for everybody. Can't wait to see them do it again next year.

Thanks for following along folks. SBI Out.

FINAL– Is it me or is Silvio Berlusconi begging ever Barcelona player to come to AC Milan?

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FINAL– Few things more thrilling to watch as far as non-game action than the Champions League trophy presentation.

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FINAL– Good game by the refs today, no really outstanding bad calls today. The deserving team won, which is all you can ask for from a ref in a final.

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FINAL– Not a bad calendar year for Xavi, who is named Man of the Match, adding that honor and the Champions League title to the European championship and Euro Player of the Tournament award he won last summer.

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FINAL– Guardiola becomes the sixth man to win the Champions League title as a player and head coach.

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FINAL– The Messi-Ronaldo battle goes to Messi, but you can't really fault Ronaldo for his effort. He was the only dangerous play for United today. His teammates didn't show up, while Messi's Barcelona delivered a dream performance.

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FINAL– Not a bad first year as head coach for Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona midfielder leads his club to a treble and a Champions League title.

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FINAL- Barcelona 2, Manchester United 0. Barcelona is fully deserving of this one. They started slowly, but ultimately dominated most of the match after the first ten minutes.

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92nd minute– Which is more likely, a late United goal or a late United red card?

Barcelona youngster Pedro comes on and Iniesta comes off. Iniesta got them here and deserves the send-off.

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91st minute– Not sure I've ever seen Nemanja Vidic look so shaky before.

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90th minute– Will we see a late goal from United to make things interesting? Nope, Rooney's cross is grabbed by Valdes.

Three minutes of stoppage time.

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87th minute– Berbatov with a header well over. Wasted chance there.

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86th minute– Rooney whistled for offside. He's had a poor game today. Disappointing really. I thought he'd be able to exploit Sylvinho but hasn't even come close.

United corner.

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84th minute– Van Der Sar SAVES a Puyol shot off a beautiful Barcelona sequence. 

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81st minute– Scholes gets a delayed yellow for that studs up challenge on Busquets.

This one still feels over, but who would dare say a game is over with United involved? Or in a Champions League final?

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80th minute– Wow, Scholes just crushed Busquets.

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78th minute– Say what you want about the Barcelona attack but the story of the day is the back-line and how well it performed today. Puyol has been great at right back, the centerbacks have been barely troubled and Sylvinho has made Rooney's life hell. They won the game today.

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77th minute– United has its attacking quartet of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov on the field yet you don't get the feeling they're close to scoring.

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75th minute– Puyol's header is saved by Van Der Sar.

Scholes coming on for Giggs.

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73rd minute– Puyol gets forward and draws a foul from Ronaldo. Not sure how much Ronaldo got Puyol. Dangerous free kick for Barcelona on the right side of the area.

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72nd minute– United nearly responds but Ronaldo's shot is blocked, United corner.

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71st minute– Carles Puyol of all people started that sequence with a surge forward. How does Messi get that wide-open in the area? Ferdinand was the closest man to him but he didn't look like he knew anything about Messi.

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70th minute- GOAL BARCELONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it's Lionel Messi with a header of all things. He heads home a beautiful cross from Xavi. Barcelona 2, United 0.

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69th minute– Seydou Keita is set to come on.

United corner.

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68th minute– Ferguson with one move left to make, which should be Scholes for Giggs.

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65th minute– Park is off, Berbatov is on.

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64th minute– Berbatov is also set to come on. Yes, that's right, Ferguson is following our commentary on his blackberry.

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63rd minute– United with a nice run forward, forcing a corner.

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62nd minute– Paul Scholes is set to come in.

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60th minute– Lots of talk about Victor Valdes having a leg injury. You have to wonder how he'll hold up against a really tough shot.

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56th minute– Wow, United got CLOSE, but nobody can get on the cross.

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53rd minute– Xavi HITS THE RIGHT POST!!

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52nd minute– Barcelona with a dangerous free kick. Iniesta fouled in the arc.

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51st minute– Park with a turnover that nearly leads to a Barcelona goal. Ferguson must be steaming right now. He might have to use his other two subs quickly before this gets out of hand. Berbatov and Scholes should be coming in.

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50th minute– Eto'o nearly gets a head on a dangerous shot. Barcelona is playing well here.

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49th minute– Henry shot SAVED by Van Der Sar. Henry turns Ferdinand inside out and gets in on goal, but VDS makes the kick save.

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47th minute– It can't be overstated just how bad Anderson was in the first half.

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46th minute– We are off. Tevez is the only new player.

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HALFTIME– Tevez is coming in for Anderson, had to be done.

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HALFTIME– What might we expect different from Barceloa? Not a thing really? They've been very lucky not to have United test the centerback tandem of Pique and Toure, which makes me wonder if Ferguson will consider inserting Berbato to help give United a focal point right in front of that Barca centerback tandem.

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HALFTIME– Barcelona 1, United 0. Man Utd controlled the first ten minutes, but doesn't score, then Eto'o blasts one home and Barcelona controls the rest of the half.

Ferguson has to make some changes, and he's never been shy to put subs in at the half. Anderson has to go, while Park may have to make way to help give United more attacking punch. Tevez needs to be in this match, while Scholes could help United in a central midfield battle it lost badly in the first half.

45th minute– Messi with one of those Messi runs, but Van Der Sar gets to the low cross and gets lucky when he spills it to Vidic.

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41st minute– Ronaldo has looked like the only dangerous player for United this half. Look for Ferguson to pull a double-sub at halftime. Scholes and Tevez for Anderson and Park wouldn't be a bad set of moves.

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38th minute– United getting no possession in the final third.

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35th minute– Barcelona about to take its second straight corner. danger.

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34th minute– Someone needs to put Anderson's picture on a milk carton because he's MISSING today.

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30th minute– I would suggest drinking games but it's mid-day and most of you are probably at work. If I WERE suggesting them I'd go for fouls on Messi, dives by Ronaldo and Vidic balls won in the air. Yes, be glad we're not drinking.

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30th minute– It is strange seeing United in the all-white.

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29th minute– Carrick and Vidic try to foul Messi, who nearly gets away, but a free kick was awarded. Nothing comes from the kick.

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27th minute– Xavi with a free kick that is just wide.

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24th minute– Game has settled down and Barca is moving it around with ease.

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21st Minute: Valdes is hurt and getting treatment.

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19th Minute: Messi hits a blast just centimeters over the bar.

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18th Minute: No way this game ends 1-0.

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17th Minute: Giggs takes it but can't get it to drop under the bar.

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16th Minute: Pique fouls Ronaldo for a dangerous free kick for United.

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13th Minute: Anderson looks really off today. If he has a bad day, Barcelona will dismantle United.

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12th Minute: Bad job by Anderson on the goal, he got to Iniesta way too late and let him get forward.

United looking shaky right now.

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11th Minute: Barcelona scores on its very first foray forward. Iniesta surges forward, slides a pass to Eto'o, who beat Van Der Sar to the near post from the right.

Barcelona near finds another great chance.

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10th Minute: GOAL BARCELONA!!! and it's Samuel Eto'o, finishing off an Iniesta pass, beating one defender, and blasting one home. Barcelona 1, United 0.

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9th Minute: Ronaldo misses just wide with a shot. Great run from the left by Evra.

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8th Minute: It's a bit shocking to hear that UEFA has unveiled a new ball for this match with raised grooves on it. The ball is flying all over the place today. Going to make Ronaldo that much more dangerous.

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7th Minute: Rooney and Puyol will battle all day and that match-up will be one of the best to watch.

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6th Minute: Looks like Messi is camped out in the top point of Barca's three-man attack.

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5th Minute: United with the early possession here as Barca looks to get settled.

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3rd Minute: It took Ronaldo a minute to do something dangerous. He's locked in today.

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2nd Minute:  Ronaldo's long free kick forces a save and rebound off Valdes, but United can't pounce.

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1st Minute: Free kick for Man Utd.

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1st Minute: We are underway.

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PRE-GAME: ESPN has Rooney starting out on the left, with Park on the right in a flat 4-3-3.

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PRE-GAME: What an atmosphere for this one. And yes, I will be ordering one of those Barcelona warm-up tops.

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PRE-GAME: Yes, that was Andrea Bocelli, and yes, he was on American Idol before last season. And yes, I'm ashamed for knowing that.

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PRE-GAME: Hey, it's the blind guy from American Idol. Okay, I'm kidding.

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PRE-GAME: In case you didn't know, Man Utd is wearing all white today while Barcelona has its traditional red and blue stripes. The edge in that department goes to Barca.

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PRE-GAME: Sylvinho gets the start at left back for Barcelona. The veteran is one of the most well-respected players within Barcelona, but he'll have his hands full against Rooney and/or Ronaldo today.

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PRE-GAME: For those who were wondering, the match IS in HD. Beautiful.

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PRE-GAME: Henry and Iniesta are both healthy and in the lineup, giving Barcelona its full attacking squad. Should make for a great final.

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PRE-GAME– Okay, so that may not be the United formation we see. We could see them match up in a 4-3-3, but we could also see them in the traditional 4-4-2. My money is on a 4-3-3 though.

Nice to see Ryan Giggs get the nod. You kind of had to expect he would start in this game. His experienced and top form this season make him perfect for a final.

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PRE-GAME– Here is Barcelona's lineup:

Henry————Eto'o————–Messi

————Xavi———Iniesta———-

—————–Busquets——————

Sylvinho—Pique—-Toure———Puyol

——————Valdes——————-

BENCH– Pinto, Cáceres, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Keita, Rodríguez and Muniesa

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PRE-GAME– Here is Manchester United's lineup:

–Park————Ronaldo———-Rooney—-

——————-Carrick———————–

————Giggs———-Anderson———–

Evra——–Vidic———Ferdinand——O'Shea

——————Van Der Sar———————

BENCH– Kuszczak, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Rafael, Evans and Tévez