The European Champions, even without Messi and Ibra, took a giant step towards classification for the next round of the Champions League and also took top spot in Group F, with a convincing 2-0 win over Inter Milan tonight.

There was plenty of pressure on Barca as they came into the game needing a win and with Messi and Ibrahimovic both on the bench, but they stayed true to their style of play and dominated the game with a display of nearly perfect intense, organised and precise football, particularly in the first half, that never gave Inter a glimmer of a chance. The early goals from Pique and Pedro proved more than enough to put Barca at the top of their group and with every chance of progressing to the next round – a draw in Ukraine against Dynamo Kiev will now be sufficient to see them through.

Up-tempo start and early goal

Barca came out on fire, applying pressure on Inter as they tried to bring the ball out and unsettling the Italian champions from the off. With Xavi and Iniesta linking up fluidly in midfield and Pedro and Henry troubling the Inter defence, it was a great start from the Champions, who found themselves one up on 10 minutes as from a corner. a Henry header at the near post found Pique at the back struggling free of his marker to fire powerfully past the Italian keeper

Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi in charge

Barca were playing true to the intentions Guardiola had laid out in his pre-match press conference: attacking and forgetting the absence of Messi and Ibrahimovic. But they were doing more – Busquets was wiping Motta out of the game and Iniesta was seemingly everywhere, tackling back, dancing through tackles and creating danger wherever he went. This was Barca at their imperious dominating best.

Brilliant second goal

Then there was Xavi – controlling the game and linking up the play with his typical style. It was the Catalan who set up the second with a defence splitting ball through to Alves cutting in from the right to cross to the far post where Pedro volleyed past Julio Cesar to round off a truly excellent move. After just 25 minutes, Barca were two up and playing beautiful football, with a nearly perfect midfield.

Inter were forced to get down and dirty as they attempted to break Barca's rhythm with continuous interruptions, but it was no use as Guardiola's team lifted themselves above it all and refused to be ruffled. Proof of Barca's dominance was the fact that Inter's first effort on goal didn't come till the 44th minute when Valdes easily stopped a long range effort from Milito.

Barca control the game

Barca proved that they knew how to administer their lead in the second half as Milito and Eto'o, pitifully under supplied on his return to the Nou Camp, failed to worry Valdes' goal. Xavi could well have made it three with a good header that Julio Cesar did well to save, but Guardiola's men were always in charge and ran out worthy winners to take top spot in their group on 8 points, with Inter and Rubin both on 6 and Dynamo Kiev on 5 points.