5 Great Goals from Barcelona vs. Arsenal Clashes

Over the years, Barcelona against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League has become a plum fixture.

The 1999 game at Wembley has been largely forgotten, left in the slipstream of the 2006 final and the various battles since.

Supporters of both sides have been lucky to have witnessed some truly special goals, and here we take a look at five of them.

Don't forget to comment below with your own memories.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Emirates Stadium, 2010

The goal Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in the quarter-final first leg between the sides in 2010 will probably go down as one of the most "route-one" strikes the Catalans have ever scored.

But it still had to be finished off, and the Swede did so perfectly.

A long ball from the back by Gerard Pique fell invitingly into Ibrahimovic's path, and with Manuel Almunia advancing, a first-time half-volley was sent into the opposite corner.

There was just enough purchase to evade the covering defender, but the Swede's goals weren't enough as the Gunners stormed back to claim a 2-2 draw on the night.

Luis Enrique, Wembley, 1999

Back in 1999, a Barca side that included Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique travelled to Wembley for the first time since their maiden European Cup triumph at the same ground seven years earlier.

They had not, to that point, beaten an English team on English soil, but all that was to change on a night when Louis van Gaal's Blaugrana were far too good for Arsene Wenger's side.

Rivaldo had already opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before Enrique doubled the visitors' lead within a minute.

A deft knock on from Luis Figo allowed Lucho to drive into the space afforded him by an out-of-position Nigel Winterburn. 

A slip from captain Tony Adams hardly helped the hosts cause, but a swivel of the hips from Enrique and an exocet into the opposite corner of the goal past David Seaman meant the tie was over as a contest within the opening 15 minutes.

Barcelona went on to win 4-2 in the Group B encounter.

Juliano Belletti, Stade De France, 2006

Certainly the most significant goal of Juliano Belletti's Barcelona career, and the one which handed the Catalans their long-awaited second Champions League title.

The Blaugrana hadn't played well for long periods against an Arsenal side who were reduced to 10 men early in the 2006 final after Jens Lehmann's dismissal.

Sol Campbell had given the Gunners a deserved lead, and the north Londoners were holding onto it until Samuel Eto'o stabbed home an equaliser 14 minutes before the end.

It opened the floodgates to waves of Barca pressure, Belletti releasing Henrik Larsson down the right side and then arriving into the box unchallenged to collect the return.

Despite running out of room, he managed to get a shot away that diverted in off Manuel Almunia's legs for a 2-1 victory.

Lionel Messi, Camp Nou, 2010

In April 2010, Lionel Messi came up with a quarter-final second-leg masterclass to beat the north Londoners.

On the night, the Argentinian scored all four goals in Barca's 4-1 victory, but it is his hat-trick goal that is still played over and over.

Losing out on a header by the centre circle, Messi then raced on to a strong headed pass from Seydou Keita as Arsenal stood like statues hoping to execute the offside trap. It was a poor effort from the visitors as Messi was at least three years onside.

With almost half of the pitch to cover, he had an age to think about what he was going to do with the chance, which is often the kiss of death for attackers.

Not this time, though.

As Manuel Almunia came racing out of his goal to narrow the angle, Messi simply dinked it over the top of the keeper and into an empty net.

It sent the Camp Nou into rapture and took the tie away from Arsenal before half-time in a 6-3 aggregate win.

Lionel Messi, Camp Nou, 2011

Very nearly footballing perfection.

Cesc Fabregas, later to return to Barcelona, played a suicidal backheel pass just outside of his own area.

Seized upon by Andres Iniesta, the midfielder danced through the Arsenal defence to find Messi.

If the first part of the move was good, the finish was sensational.

The Argentinian controlled the ball with his first touch and lightly lifted the ball over Almunia as he spread himself, collecting the ball on the other side before volleying home in a 4-3 aggregate round-of-16 win.