BARCELONA WIN EUROPEAN SUPER CUP..

Lionel Messi inspired the Catalan side in extra time as he laid on the pass from which substitute Pedro Rodriguez scored with a penalty shootout looming.
Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola can now add the UEFA showpiece title to the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the La Liga crown and the Champions League to his haul of silverware after little more than a year in charge.
As a less than riveting 90 minutes came to an end, it was Messi who upped his game and looked the most likely to settle the match without resorting to penalties.
He got his reward of sorts with five minutes of extra time remaining when he slipped a pass into the path of Pedro to complete a slick one-two that the youth product nicknamed 'Pedrito' side-footed past Andriy Pyatov into the bottom corner of the net.
While the match itself will not be fondly remembered, and the prize on offer was not the most prestigious, the victory served to underline the historic quality of this current Barcelona side.
Both managers fielded virtually full-strength teams, with Andres Iniesta the only major absentee for the European champions.
Shakhtar boss Mircea Lucescu left Brazilian Jadson on the bench, but still put out a team containing nine of the players that started the UEFA Cup final.
Barcelona assistant boss Tito Vilanova had complained about the state of the Monaco pitch before kick-off, but the surface did not hinder the Blaugrana side from playing their usual possession game, Seydou Keita ably deputising for Iniesta as they starved the Ukrainian side of the ball.
Thierry Henry was the first to have create a real chance on the ground where he spent the first five years of his career, swiftly turning inside Darjo Srna and flashing a shot over the bar after 10 minutes.
Despite holding around three quarters of the possession throughout the half, it was not until the latter stages of the half that Barca created more meaningful chances.
Lionel Messi took a quick free-kick and got on the end of a one-two with Xavi, but his low shot was comfortably saved by Pyatov.
Barca then had a fair shout for a penalty right at the end of the half when Tomas Huebschman's arm was high as Daniel Alves's free-kick struck it in the wall, but Belgian official Frank De Bleeckere gave only a corner.
The Catalan side continue to monopolise the ball after the break, but it took a full half-hour for them to force the first real save of the match when Messi's snap shot from the edge of the box was beaten away by Pyatov, and the keeper had to be back on his feet quickly to tip Henry's curling shot from the left over the bar.
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's final act of a solid if unspectacular performance was to hit the deck inside the Shakhtar area under a challenge from Oleksandr Kucher, but once more the Belgian official ignored the appeals.
Messi tried his best to end the match in normal time, seeing one shot deflected behind for a corner and then bursting into the box with a mazy run through three men only to have the ball nicked off him at the vital moment.
The Argentine reacted in frustration in the belief that he was pushed off the ball, and was lucky to only receive a yellow card after appearing to direct a head butt at Srna.
The introduction of striker Julius Agahowa - on his return to the club after spells at Wigan and Kayserispor - provided Shakhtar with a more direct attacking outlet, and the Nigerian made his presence felt, getting in front of Carles Puyol only to see his low strike force a first save from Victor Valdes.
After that, Messi took it upon himself constantly driving at the Shakhtar defenders and firing shots from range before finally laying on the pass that sealed the match.
Barcelona do not have long to celebrate this victory, as they get the defence of their La Liga crown underway on Monday at home to Sporting Gijon.