The Stadio Olimpico starts to welcome supporters of both sides with an expected crowd of over 72,000 ready to witness the eagerly-awaited final on a balmy Roman night
Manchester United take the game to Barcelona from kick-off and a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick in the second minute draws only a clumsy save from Victor Valdes in goal
United look slick and Barca's makeshift defence looks frail, Ronaldo at the centre of everything, being given time and space to hit two further efforts just wide
Out of nowhere Andres Iniesta bursts forward for Barca, plays in Samuel Eto'o at inside right who then splits Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick to score the opening goal, Barcelona's first attempt of the match
It is an emphatic response to doubts over the form of the Cameroon striker, scorer of Barcelona's first goal against Arsenal the last time they won the Champions League
Now the Catalan side control the game, United passes go astray, and Barcelona go close through Lionel Messi from long range and a free-kick from Xavi
Wayne Rooney and Ji-Sung Park swap wings but Ronaldo is alone up front and United cannot seem to string two passes together, Vidic, Carrick and Rio Ferdinand guilty of giving the ball away cheaply
Sir Alex Ferguson changes his attack by bringing on Carlos Tevez but it is Barca who start the second half on top as Henry turns Ferdinand down the left channel only for Edwin van der Sar to save with his legs
Barcelona continue to press and a good run by Iniesta earns a free-kick on the edge of the United box which Xavi strikes against the post with Van der Sar beaten
Desperate for an equaliser, United go 4-2-4 with Dimitar Berbatov coming on but good work by Puyol finds Xavi who throws in a high cross to the far post that Messi guides over Van der Sar to double Barca's lead
The 5'7" Argentine surely seals the game, which Xavi and Iniesta dominate, for the Spanish champions
Manchester United look without hope and Puyol has a chance to make it 3-0, which Van der Sar smothers, before making a vital header at the other end to take a set-piece cross away from Berbatov
The final whistle blows and Barcelona, with Spain European champions, become the first Spanish side to win a unique treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League
On a night when Manchester United could draw level with Ajax and Bayern Munich with four European Cup / Champions League wins, Barcelona draw level with them instead, with three
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