Bijan: This year in European soccer, Chelsea and Barcelona are both at the top of their respective leagues. Daniel, in your opinion, who do you think is better in a head-to-head matchup?

Daniel: No question, I’d take Barcelona. In the past decade, Barcelona has won three champions league titles, one club world cup, one European Super cup, five La Liga titles, one King’s Cup, three Spanish Super Cups, and they were named best team of 2011. It’s obvious that Barcelona has been the most dominant European team, and still is today.

Bijan: I disagree completely. In the past five years, Chelsea has won two English Premier League championships, going against high competition that includes Manchester United, Arsenal, and many more. Also, this past year, they won the Champions League, defeating a group of very high-caliber teams, including Barcelona.

Daniel: While Chelsea is in a tough league to compete in, Barcelona has it just as tough, going against teams like Real Madrid, which includes one of the world’s best players, Christiano Ronaldo. Another reason why Barcelona is the better team is because eight out of their 11 starters, including Lionel Messi, have been playing with each other since they were teenagers, which builds extraordinary chemistry. Messi, who is the starting striker, has received three straight World Player of the Year Awards. Also, this past season, he scored 73 goals, a world record.

Bijan: Chelsea also has a star-studded lineup, which includes old experienced players, as well as young, fresh talent. Frank Lampard and John Terry, who are 34 and 31 years old respectively, and both starters on the English national team, both bring a sense of leadership to the team. Lampard, a starting midfielder, has received the FIFA world player of the Year, UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year, as well as two Premier League Player of the Year awards. There are many rising stars on Chelsea, including starting forward and 21-year-old Edin Hazard, who has played in seven games, and has two goals and four assists.

Daniel: Those are all valid points, but Barcelona’s style of play is much more fluent and highly praised than Chelsea’s is. They are able to keep the ball and move it around more efficiently, which could easily overpower Chelsea. This could be a factor in their chances of winning another UEFA Champions League title.