A few quick notes on Rangers v Barcelona, and Guardiola is innocent!

• Dare I say it - this was our best away performance so far this season. I was happy with what I saw, bar the last few minutes.
• That handball was a penalty. Not complaining, but in some ways this game reminded me of Arsenal's games against CSKA Moscow last season: one side dominated completely, had a lot of shots and yet were unable to score (although Arsenal were even more unlucky). Fair enough, sometimes that happens, and we can't whine when we don't take our chances. A point is not a bad result for Barca in Scotland, where we are traditionally very bad.
  
• Carles Puyol was just incredible at rightback, especially in the first half. I'd forgotten how good he was at getting forward. Immense performance from the captain. I'm so glad he's back. The entire defence did well, in fact.
• Rangers may not play the kind of football I like to watch, but they're excellent at what they do, and may they go far in this competition.
• Lord have mercy and save me from the idiocy of Tommy Smyth.
  

Smyth: it's a strange game to give Gudjohnsen his first start of the season.
Derek Rae: [has to remind him that maybe, just maybe, the reason for Gudjohnsen getting a start is Barca's current injury crisis in midfield]

Smyth: Barcelona haven't created many chances.
[Barcelona have just had 12 shots in the first half.]

If I were a fan of Scottish football, I'd also find his patronising tone offensive. Oh, look, they can play an offside trap. Well, Tommy, Rangers beat Lyon 3-0 away - I think they know how to play football pretty well.

It's enough to make one really miss Ray Hudson.


In other Barca news, Pep Guardiola has finally been cleared of his 2001 doping charge. Good for him. I always believed he was innocent, and not just because I like him so much.

Now, can we have some fit players please?


Edit:

Television pictures showed that a Ronaldinho effort came off the hand of Alan Hutton but the incident was missed by referee Konrad Plautz.

But, even though a spot-kick could have made all the difference to the final outcome, Rijkaard refused to criticise the Austrian official.

"I don't think you don't win because of one decision," he pointed out. "You don't win because sometimes you make the wrong decisions instead of making a goal. But that's football, it's the wonderful world of football. I think it was a good game, it's just a shame that there weren't any goals to see on the pitch."

Ah, Frankie. Never stop being so awesome.