Madrid: For a club that has frequently laid claim to being the repository of quality football on the continent, it is surprising that Barcelona's trophy cabinet contains just one European Cup.
Their solitary success came at Wembley in 1992 when a trademark free kick from Dutch defender Ronald Koeman beat Sampdoria in extra time.
That triumph was the crowning achievement for Johan Cruyff's "dream team", a side that dominated Spanish football in the early 1990s by winning four successive league titles and was renowned for its crowd-pleasing attacking football.
When they reached the final again two years later with a side that contained Brazilian goal-machine Romario, they were humiliated 4-0 by Fabio Capello's AC Milan.
In addition to that Athens demolition, Barca have suffered two other defeats in European Cup finals.
In 1961 a side that contained Ballon D'Or winner Luis Suarez and the great Ladislao Kubala slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Benfica while 25 years later a team managed by Terry Venables were edged out on penalties by Steaua Bucharest.
With arch-rivals Real Madrid never missing an opportunity to crow about the nine European Cups that are on display in the trophy room at the Bernabeu, it is easy to see why winning a second continental crown has become a Barcelona obsession.
Coach Frank Rijkaard and president Joan Laporta have toed the party line and said the league title is more important because it is a measure of consistency over a season.
For the club's fans, the Catalan media and most of the players, however, the Champions League is the Holy Grail.
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For political, social and institutional reasons, Barcelona and Real Madrid will always be the biggest clubs in Spain, so inevitably European trophies have become the prime measure of their strength.
Barcelona outclassed the rest of the field in the Spanish title race, leaving Real, Valencia and surprise package Osasuna to scrap it out for the minor places.
Ever since Barca inflicted a humbling 3-0 defeat on Real at the Bernabeu in November it was clear there was only one candidate for the title.
Still smarting from the disappointment of losing out to Chelsea in the first knockout round of last year's competition, Barca were determined not to make the same mistake when the two sides were drawn together at the same stage this season.
Rijkaard adopted a more practical, patient game plan against Jose Mourinho's men and showed a newfound defensive solidity that gave the Londoners little chance in the tie.
Barca ran out 2-1 winners at Stamford Bridge thanks to a late header from Samuel Eto'o, and Ronaldinho effectively ended Chelsea's hopes when he burst past John Terry to score at the Nou Camp in a 1-1 draw.
Another efficient performance brought a 2-0 aggregate win over Koeman's Benfica in the last eight and one goal, a brilliant strike from French winger Ludovic Giuly after a masterful pass from Ronaldinho separated the Catalans from AC Milan in the semis.
Rijkaard, who won three European Cups in his playing days at Milan and Ajax, has given Barca a harder, more resilient edge this season but the team retain their commitment to playing beautiful football.
A three-man frontline made up of the electrifying Eto'o, the mesmerising Ronaldinho and either the experienced Swedish striker Henrik Larsson or the Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi make Barca a side built to entertain.
Backed up by a cultured, ball-playing midfield and a determined, classy defence, the Catalans believe they can fulfil their dual mission of bringing home the missing trophy and providing the spectacle their fans demand against Arsenal.
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