Pressure rising for Barça

The clock is ticking as the final of the Champions League is approaching.

Arsenal and Barcelona will battle it out on Wednesday night, in Paris's Stade de France, for a place in history. Thierry Henry will want to gift Arsenal with their first Champions League trophy, in what could be his last game in a Gunners' jersey, while Barcelona have a chance to confirm their "renaissance" as they could complete a historical double, after their success in La Liga. And with this type of great games comes great pressure.

Key midfielder Deco, who moved to Barcelona in 2003 following a great campaign with Porto, which saw the Portuguese team win their domestic title as well as the Champions League final, under managing supremo Jose Mourinho, admitts that the pressure is rising:

"The fact that I have won the Champions League final two years ago makes it easier for me to remain calm, but it's safe to say that we are all a little bit anxious."

Deco, who scored in the final against Monaco in 2003, insists a final is much more than just a football match, and everything that surrounds the game has it's importance:

"A final isn't all about what happens on the pitch. The surrounding environment, people's opinions: everything has an influence."

However the Portuguese international, who will be going to Germany this summer, claims that finals don't come along frequently in a football career and the players need to make the most of it:

"It's a moment to enjoy off course, but we can't allow ourselves to be too laid back."

Wednesday's final will also gift forward Ludovic Giuly with a chance to put a few things straight.

The Frenchman, who was left out of Raymond Domenech's World Cup squad on Sunday, will want to prove the French coach wrong by producing a great performance, as Domenech's decision was clearly a blow for the pacey World Cup hopeful, who hasn't spoken to the press since the squad was announced.

Where some newspapers question Giuly's psychological state going into Wednesday's game, teammate Deco guarantees that the Fenchman will be up for it:

"It won't bother him. I just hope he'll be able to enjoy this final. And that he goes on to win it."

Giuly will also be eager to lift the most prestigious European trophy as his first experience in a Champions League final was a nightmare. He was part of the Monaco side which lost to present teammate Deco's Porto 3-0 in 2003. And even worse, the Frenchman had to be taken off in the first half due to injury.

This time around, Giuly is fit and ready to claim his first European title, and in any case, Euro 2008 is only two years away...