Fabregas, on the bench until the last 10 minutes in Monaco on Friday night, took Lionel Messi's pass on his chest before rifling home to spark scenes of wild celebration from his team-mates. It means two trophies in 10 days for the former Arsenal man - who won just the FA Cup and a Charity Shield in all his years with the Gunners - with the European and Spanish champions already having the Spanish Super Cup in the bag this season and thanks to Fabregas and Messi's first-half goal, added the UEFA trophy to their cabinet. The presence of Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez on the bench served to highlight that the best team in the world are now, frighteningly, even stronger than last season. Yet it had been an uncomfortable start as Barca initially struggled to reach their own high standards. The often-criticised Stade Louis II pitch did not help Barcelona, cutting up almost immediately having been heavily watered and for the first half hour it was Porto who enjoyed the best chances. A handball by Eric Abidal handed Porto a free-kick in a promising position on the edge of the 'D' but Hulk drifted it over, and Joao Moutinho threatened Barca's goal again with a wicked shot that Victor Valdes turned past the post at full stretch. Some extravagant step-overs by Hulk took him past Adriano but the Brazilian bent his shot wide. Barca had only an effort by Pedro lobbed onto the roof of the net to boast of after half an hour, but they slowly started to warm up with Andres Iniesta in particular making light of the pitch with some awesome dribbling. Xavi had seen a 25-yard shot tipped over before Messi's goal came six minutes before half-time when Fredy Guarin ruined all his side's good work with an awful attempted backpass. Messi had been slow to get back and he could hardly believe his luck when the ball landed at his feet, and he strolled around Porto keeper Helton for a simple finish. Porto appeared determined not to waste their good work of the first half with two cracking efforts early in the second. First Moutinho brought another good stop from Valdes and then Guarin fired in a 30-yard thunderbolt that the Barcelona keeper tipped aside. David Villa, earlier denied by a hasty whistle from Dutch ref Bjorn Kuipers when he should have played advantage, was put free on goal by Iniesta but for once he snatched at the shot and it was easy for Helton. A stunning length-of-the-field run involving Pedro and Messi so nearly led to a second goal but Helton came off his line to prod the ball away. Villa made way for Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean winger who joined from Udinese this summer, with Sergio Busquets for Adriano leaving Fabregas sweating as to whether he would get a run-out. Busquets' misguided header over the oncoming Valdes nearly played Barcelona into trouble but Abidal stretched to clear the loose ball ahead of Kleber. Fabregas was given 10 minutes to shine by Pep Guardiola, coming on for Pedro, almost immediately to be hacked down by Guarin who earned himself a yellow card. Porto's hopes were all but extinguished when Rolando was given his marching orders for hauling down Messi and earning a second bookable offence. Then came Fabregas' moment, Messi's clip over the defence, the former Arsenal skipper controlling the ball on his chest and then volleying high into the roof of net. Guarin ended a miserable night for him personally and Porto with a straight red for a nasty lunge on Javier Mascherano.
