Manchester United  | vs | FC Barcelona  |
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Champions League: Manchester United v FC Barcelona – everybody’s dream Finale
It certainly should have been a rematch of last year’s Champions League final. Instead, Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo decided it would be a rematch of one of last year’s semifinal clash between Manchester United and FC Barcelona.
Manchester United progressed to the Champions League final in Rome after convincingly beating Arsenal 4-1 on aggregate. The Red Devils had to wait 24 hours after triumphing at the Emirates to know who will be their opponents come May 27 at the Stadio Olimpico. And with all the controversy one could ever think of, it was revealed to be Pep Guardiola’s Catalan Giants Barcelona FC, after the Blaugrana controversially ousted Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona clashing against Manchester United in the final of the UEFA Champions League was something that everyone was dreaming about.
This clash will see Cristiano Ronaldo coming up against Lionel Messi and experienced manager Sir Alex Ferguson against debutant Pep Guardiola in his first year as coach of a senior side.
How Manchester United reached the final of Champions League.
A goalless draw against Spanish side Villareal in front of their own fans was all Manchester United could manage when they started the defense of their UEFA Champions League title.
With only 10 points from a possible 18 – as a result of 4 draws and only 2 wins in the group stage – Manchester United knew they had done just enough to claim the top spot in their table as they progressed to the next round of the competition. Alex Ferguson was well aware that there was room for a lot of improvement and his side came up strong just when it was really needed.
Manchester United overcame the curse that had struck every other Champions League titleholders since 2006 – the miserable fate of failing to reach the quarter-finals as defending champions. Manchester United saw out Inter Milan in the last 16 of the tournament with a 2-0 home and aggregate victory in the return leg.
They advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and were paired against FC Porto in what football analysts described as the kindest draw of this round.
But in a way or manner, Manchester United made things difficult for themselves by managing a disappointing 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. The second leg therefore presented itself as do-or-die mission for the Red Devils as history revealed that no English club had ever beaten FC Porto at the Estadio do Dragao.
But the World Champions travelled to Porto with the daring wish of re-writing history by triumphing in Portugal. It took Cristiano Ronaldo’s 40-yard wonder strike to fire the Red Devils through to the semi-finals of the Champions League: the talismanic number 7 and Portugal captain had stood up against his own countrymen and rivals of former club Sporting Lisbon to break Porto’s record.
It was a different affair though against Arsenal. If a 1-0 victory in the first leg at Old Trafford never seemed enough for Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo’s wonderful form at The Emirates put the game beyond any challenge.
A brace from the World Player of the Year proved more than enough to seal Manchester United’s 4-1 crushing victory over the Gunners to reach their second consecutive Champions League final.
How Barcelona reached the Champions League final
Barcelona affirmed their superiority against opponents Sporting Lisbon, Shaktar Doniesk and FC Basel in the group stages by recording 5 wins out of 6 games and 18 goals in all.
The Blaugrana comfortably qualified to the last 16 stages in Europe where they eventually faced French Champions Lyon. It was a real hurdle to surmount for the Lyonnais who have failed to cross the last 16 phase time and time again. Barca overhauled them with a 6-3 aggregate victory despite drawing 1-1 in France in the first leg. The Catalans marched on to the quarter-finals of the competition to meet Beckenbauer’s Bayern Munich. The Germans proved to be no match for the rampant Blaugrana who advanced to the semis after trashing their opponents 4-0 at the Camp Nou and 5-1 overall.
A semifinal tie against Chelsea stood as Barcelona’s greatest challenge. The 2006 Champions League winners were held goalless at home by a negative and physical Chelsea side. They entered Stamford Bridge knowing that a score draw will do for them. After 92 minutes filled with controversy and marked by Michael Essien’s 25-yard thunderbolt, Barcelona’s hopes of reaching the final was more than at stake. But Iniesta’s exceptional strike from distance in the last minute of the game robbed Chelsea from reaching another Champions League final in two years.
Pep Guardiola’s men face another English side in the final in the name of the English, European and World Champions Manchester United.
Chances and casualties
Barcelona and Manchester United are two clubs from two different countries with a completely different culture all together. However, history shows that as much as they have dissimilarities, they also have similarities – which give this UEFA Champions League final a real flavor of glamour and style…
Pep Guardiola v Sir Alex Ferguson
This will be a battle between the young and the old, the inexperienced one and the wise one, the great warrior and the new combatant.
Barcelona’s 38-year-old coach Pep Guardiola is the new ‘kid’ on the block. The former Barcelona captain jumped a big step from being the manager of the club’s reserve team to coaching the senior side at a time when the Catalans were desperately searching for some fire in the pot. Guardiola certainly surprised the world as he transformed a demoralized and broken Barcelona into a strong army ready to tear down every opponent without mercy with their attacking forces – considered to be the best in Europe and in the world at the moment.
On the other hand, Alex Ferguson, 67, is Europe’s most experienced manager after winning everything possible with Manchester United. Last year, the Red Devils beat Barcelona – managed by Frank Rikjaard at the time – as they marched unto the final where the ultimately beat Chelsea to clinch the trophy in style. Ferguson has been with the Red Devils for more than 20 years now, but his desire to achieve success and break records has pushed him all the way to yet an impressive campaign this season as well. It surely would be a curious battle against Coach Pep Guardiola who is also aiming to have his name written down in history as another man to win the Champions League both as a player and a coach. Ferguson will certainly need to be very cunning to stop Barcelona’s flow.
The Old Scot led his team to an unprecedented treble back in 1999 as he led Manchester United to Champions League glory at the Camp Nou. Can he repeat history, ten years after this unforgettable achievement?
Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo
Barcelona v Manchester United is definitely a clash that will determine who the best player is between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi this term. This hot debate has long been running but it might come to an end on May 27, when Europe’s two best clubs affront each other in Rome.
Lionel Messi has shown his best form for Barcelona this year in all competition, netting over 35 times with the season yet to be ended. The Argentine playmaker came second best behind Ronaldo in most of last year’s award contests and this was certainly due by his inability to steer Barcelona into last season’s Champions League final in Moscow at the expense of Manchester United. Lionel Messi’s Barcelona rather suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat on aggregate against the Red Devils in a tie where almost all the critics fell on Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger had missed a glorious chance from the penalty spot at the Camp Nou which put negative Manchester United in quite a tough position to reach the final. But if Ronaldo flopped in a real nightmare for him at the Camp Nou, it is also a true fact that his enormous frustration pushed the whole Manchester United squad to over-prepare themselves ahead of the return leg which they subsequently won in dramatic fashion.
Cristiano Ronaldo may want to revenge himself by another stunning performance at the Stadio Olimpico. The reigning UEFA Top Scorer has four goals to his credits in Europe this season – half of Messi’s tally this time around. He might not get his hand on another European golden boot, but perhaps on a more prestigious trophy which is the European Cup.
Reunion and omissions
French striker Thierry Henri should get the opportunity to renew his rivalry against Manchester United when Barcelona take on the Red Devils in Rome. The former Arsenal captain didn’t start in any of the legs against the Mancunians last year, but his presence as a substitute explained that Henri could have trampled Manchester United down had he got more playing time.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United player Gerrard Pique might also get another start in Barcelona’s squad. The defender – guilty of a clear handball in the penalty area against Chelsea in the semis – relished the prospect of meeting Manchester United even before Barca played against the Blues at the Bridge.
"I would like to thank United for the support they gave me," Pique told The Sun.
"I will always carry United in my heart. To play them in the final would be perfect.
"I had great friends in Manchester. I played with many world-class players and became good friends with Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Nani."
Three people who are completely ruled out of this tantalizing final are Dani Alves, and red carded Abidal and Fletcher. Alves picked up another yellow card in the second leg against Chelsea and was lucky to escape a red card as he made plenty physical challenges on the Chelsea players and on Malouda especially. As for Abidal, a wrong decision from Tom Henning Ovrebo ended his Champions League adventure with Barcelona this season. The same thing happened to Fletcher after he fouled Fabregas inside the box in Manchester United’s 3-1 away win to Arsenal. Manchester United didn’t succeed in appealing on the Scottish’s red card. This trio is therefore out for good.
Captain Puyol should return in defense for the Blaugrana, though. The Barcelona veteran was suspended from playing in London after receiving another yellow card at the Camp Nou. His presence could be vital; Manchester United may need some extra forces to turn the experienced full-back into a miserable joke.
The Stadio Olimpico factor
Manchester United might dress in their white away outfit on May 27, and if this could come as a disadvantage in a way or another for the Red Devils, AS Roma’s ground could offer them some much needed luck.
Manchester United lost 2-1 (with Paul Scholes seeing red) at the Stadio Olimpico two years ago but a stunning 7-1 thrashing of AS Roma in the return leg brushed out the defeat. Man United then travelled to this venue again last season and managed a comfortable and memorable 2-0 victory, spiced up with Cristiano Ronaldo’s outstanding performance and bullet header.
The World Player of the Year will hope that Manchester United conquer Barcelona to triumph once again at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy.
Well, it’s hard to predict how the game will fair out. What is clear is this: A fierce rivalry between Barcelona andManchester United has just been created…
Written by: Angela Asante
