Barcelona beats Estudiantes 2-1 for Club World Cup

FE Team | Published: December 21, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Barcelona players react after winning the final Club World Cup football match against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Saturday.

ABU DHABI, DEC 20 (AP): Lionel Messi scored an extra-time winner as Barcelona beat Estudiantes 2-1 Saturday to win the Club World Cup, the European champions' sixth trophy of 2009. Golden Ball winner Messi chested Daniel Alves' cross into the goal in the 110th minute to secure victory in front of 43,050 fans at the Zayed Sports City stadium.
Estudiantes had gone ahead in the 37th minute through Mauro Boselli's header before the Spanish champion's late pressure paid off as Pedro Rodriguez headed home an equalizer against the South American champions in the 89th minute. Barcelona's bench erupted in celebration after the come-from-behind victory, while Estudiantes players looked on in disbelief or slumped to the ground.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola wept as his team prepared to lift the trophy while counterpart Alejandro Sabella said Pedro's late equalizer stunned his team, which nearly equalized in the dying moments through Leandro Desabato.
The two sides traded early chances before Boselli slipped between defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal to steer Juan Manuel Diaz's cross from the left into the net at the near post. With Estudiantes able to keep Messi and Xavi Hernandez subdued early and with Andres Iniesta missing due to injury, Guardiola brought Pedro on for Seydou Keita to start the second half as Estudiantes sat back to defend and an animated Guardiola roamed the sidelines.
"It was very intense. We were losing and there was very little time left," Guardiola said though a translator. "At halftime I told them they had to be strong, we were too soft until then. A final like this deserved better fight."
Both Ibrahimovic and Pedro came close to an equalizer on a couple of occasions before finally making the breakthrough against the tiring Argentines.
"We suffered a lot to that point. They contained us very well for the first half," Xavi said. "But then that great goal from Pedro arrived and changed everything."