One of the most successful clubs in European football, FC Barcelona will meet up against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League on Saturday with hopes of defeating the Red Devils for a second time and securing their third title of the season.

Earlier in the month, the club claimed the Spanish League championship for the third consecutive year, finishing clear at the top of the table with 30 wins, six draws, two losses and a record 96 points for the entire season. A week later, they booted league rivals Real Madrid from the Champions League competition after defeating them in the semifinals on an aggregate goal score of 3-1.

Barcelona will no doubt start Lionel Messi, the world's top player, who has won fan’s hearts and mystified defenses time and time again. His lightning shots and quick passes have proved invaluable to his team, as this season he has scored a record 54 goals in 52 games. 

 Behind Messi in the midfield are the two other runner-ups for FIFA’s 2010 World Player of the Year award: Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. These two players combine to create an incredibly dangerous partnership: Iniesta with his incredible vision and playmaking abilities on the field, and Hernandez as an efficient distributor, constantly turning Iniesta’s intricate plays into reality. These two players, united with Messi’s ability to penetrate defenses, provide an incredibly lethal attack.

Meanwhile, captain Carles Puyol thrives as the heart of Barcelona’s defense. Puyol is a vital, key figure in the backline that relentlessly stops players in their tracks and clears his end of any possibilities on goal.

At the helm of it all is coach Pep Guardiola, who led the team to their most successful season two years ago. In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win "the treble" of the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup. That same year it also became the first football club to complete "the sextuple," winning the aforementioned treble as well as the Spanish Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

"We are ready. We are in the right mood," Guardiola said of Saturday's final. "If we play as we have over the last year and give everything, I believe that will be enough."

Should Barcelona defeat Manchester, it will be Guradiola's 10th trophy in his three-year career as manager.

The last time FC Barcelona met up with Manchester United, in the 2009 Champions League final, 106 million people tuned in to watch. Those numbers surpassed the NFL Super Bowl and NBA Finals from that same year. This year's viewing numbers will prove to be no different, as the two most famous clubs in the world clash once more, both fighting to emerge crowned as European Champion in one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

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