London calling for the clash. Manchester United versus Barcelona at Wembley in a duel for the Champions League crown is an occasion that quickens the pulse even 22 days away. This is a show-case final dripping with glamour and intrigue: a good team in United against a great one in Barcelona.

United enjoyed a semi-final ride up Wembley Way as easy as the final will be hard. By the end of this rout, the home fans were chanting "we're Man United, we'll do what we want", which was pretty much anything against supine Schalke. The M1 will probably prove more troublesome for United in reaching Wembley than the guileless Germans did.

Barcelona, the team of all the talents, will be far less accommodating on May 28. Pep Guardiola, who travelled to Old Trafford to watch a largely second-string United cut Schalke to tiny dark-blue ribbons, will send out such stars as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. It will be roll-call at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.

Read more at The Daily Telegraph ....