A tale of two magical players

WHEN the semi-final draw for the Uefa Champions League tournament was made a fortnight ago, football fans around the world were salivating at the prospect of an El Clasico final between Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Barcelona, the top-ranked team in La Liga, kept their end of the bargain on Wednesday, trouncing Bayern Munich 3-0 in front of 95,639 supporters at the Nou Camp. The irrepressible Lionel Messi was the undisputed star of the night, with his two goals - a blast with his left foot and a delicate chip using his right - and an assist for Neymar in injury time sending the new Bundesliga champions scampering home to Bavaria.

A day earlier in Turin, it was another pint-sized striker from Argentina, Carlos Tevez of Juventus, who proved the difference in the narrow 2-1 win over Real Madrid, the current holders of the Champions League trophy.