Iniesta goal at Chelsea sparks Barca baby boom

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MADRID - The week when Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid and sealed their place in the Champions League final has prompted a surge in births in the Catalan capital of almost 50 percent, according to a survey by a local radio station.

Nine months since Barca's 6-2 home win over their arch- rivals and Andres Iniesta's stunning late strike which took them through to the final at the expense of Chelsea, maternity hospitals are struggling to cope with demand for beds.

A survey by COMRadio showed that births this week and those expected next week are 45 percent higher than the average.

"When we notice some sort of surge we look for the reason and it's evident that the cause of the increase this week is the euphoria of Barca fans thanks to the huge win and Iniesta's goal," El Mundo newspaper quoted Mercedes Rodriguez of the city's Quiron Clinic as saying.

The babies are popularly known in Barcelona as "the Iniesta generation."

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