Final showdown

The most prestigious club game of the season will take place on Wednesday night in Paris, in front of the 80,000 fans lucky enough to get a ticket for the Stade de France's Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal.

Both teams have enjoyed successful runs in the tournament this year, ousting several favourites with superb performances against the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan.

Now, the two teams, who boast different but very offensive styles of play, battle it out in Paris on Wednesday to lay their hands on the most coveted prize in European football.

Although there is no doubt Arsenal and Barcelona will play their strongest elevens, some questions remain as to who exactly will be on the pitch when referee Terje Hauge blows his whistle at quarter to nine central european time.

Mathieu Flamini, the young French midfielder who has done a great job playing as a left-back for the majority of the season, following Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy's injuries, has recovered from a thigh injury and is operational for Wednesday.

Considering his consistency this year and his high-standard performances, it would seem appropriate for him to start. But Wenger could be tempted to bring in Cole, a 'true' left-back, to deal with Ludovic Giuly's accelerations down the right flank.

Philippe Senderos should be a bit physically lacking, which means Sol Campbell could be expecting to start alongside Kolo Touré at the back.

Frank Rijkaard has no major injury problems. The only doubts are regarding Xavi. The midfielder, back from a long-term injury, is short of playing time and the Dutch coach could prefer to start with Iniesta in the holding role. Wonderkid Leo Messi will be on the bench as Giuly will start on the right, looking to forget about his omission from France's World Cup squad.

The young Spaniard, who will be playing against his former club, will have the difficult task to stop Deco from pushing forward. Getting Fabregas to man-mark the Portuguese would be unusual from Wenger and wasting the youngster's ability to distribute. But in such a final where tactics will be crucial, maybe the French coach will be willing to sacrifice Fabregas to make sure Deco's influence on the game will be limited.

Barcelona are regarded as one of the most forward-minded teams in Europe this season. The back four have this uncanny ability to play high up the field during 90 minutes, pushing their opponents deep within their half and passing the ball around. Against the lightening pace of Henry, it would be a risk for the Liga champions to play that way, as one ball over the top for the Frenchman to run onto could prove to be enough for Arsenal to clinch the cup. In that case, maybe Rijkaard will ask his charismatic captain to drop a bit deeper, maybe as a sweeper, to make sure Henry doesn't have time to launch one of his decisive accelerations.

The Brazilian genius will no doubt be up and ready for the game of his life, which means young Eboue will have a busy night. The crucial thing for the young defender is to stay on his feet all game long, because even though he is a good tackler, you can't afford to jump into tackles on a man who will flick the ball over you as soon as you go to the ground. Man-marking on Ronaldinho is useless, as he has proved countless times during his career. The key will be to limit his operating space and close him down early doors.

While these tactics should be determinant, we are talking about a Champions League final. At that stage, the players can tend to be overwhelmed by the stakes and sometimes tactics can fly out the window early in the game, teams relying on aspects such as desire, abnegation and solidarity. Let's hope that in any case, Arsenal and Bracelona don't forget one crucial aspect: making this final unforgettable for every football fan.