Platini dreaming of all-Spanish final

UEFA president Michel Platini admits he is already thinking about a Real Madrid-Barcelona showdown in the Champions League final.

The Catalan club have one foot in the quarter-finals after a 3-1 first-leg victory at Bayer Leverkusen, while Real take a 1-1 draw against CSKA Moscow back to the Santiago Bernabeu for the return game next Wednesday.

The two clubs met each other in the Champions League semi-final stage last season, with Barca coming out on top 3-1 on aggregate in a highly charged tie.

And while admitting there would be plenty of competition for a berth in Munich on May 19, Platini had no doubt a final between the Spanish giants would be a worthy showpiece.

“Who will be in the final? There are also English and Italian clubs…,” Platini told Canal Plus.

“I do not know who will play in it, but a match between Madrid and Barcelona could be a great final.”

Platini also commented on the race for the Liga title, admitting Real Madrid’s 10-point buffer would be hard for Barcelona to catch.

“Ten points mean a lot, but until the end you cannot rule anything out,” he noted. “In the end, whoever wins it will have deserved it.”

Madrid travel to Real Betis this Saturday while Barcelona are at Racing Santander on Sunday.