MANCHESTER United and Barcelona look all set to stage the 2011 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium on May 28. This is after both team’s earnt crucial and almost match-winning advantages in the first legs of the two Champions League semi-finals.
Goals from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in Gelsenkirchen saw Manchester United canter to a 2-0 win away from home, at Schalke 04. United completely dominated the match from start-to-finish, which clearly must show how bad Inter Milan are, if Schalke (10th in the Bundesliga) can dismantle them in the quarter-finals. In fact, had it not been for a man-of-the-match performance from German no.1 Manuel Neuer, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team could have won by a cricket score. The second leg at Old Trafford should be nothing more than a formality on Wednesday.
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| OFF: Pepe looks astounded at his dismissal from 'El Classico' |
24 hours later, we saw the ridiculous and the sublime in the latest ‘El Classico’ saga at the Bernabeau. The contest between Real Madrid and Barcelona seemed more akin to a wrestling match, rather than a football game. However, it should be the brilliance of Lionel Messi which is remembered, as Barca take a 2-0 advantage back to the Nou Camp for a bruising second leg tomorrow night. Three players were sent off, though one of those was only on the pitch. Barcelona’s reserve goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto saw red, for being the main figure in an unsavoury touchline brawl as the players disappeared for half-time. In the second half, Pepe became the fourth Real Madrid player to see the red card in an ‘El Classico’ game this season. His challenge on Dani Alves was late and high, but only warranted a yellow card. Alves’s spectacular acrobatics and the number of Barcelona players crowing the inadequate referee from Germany, Wolfgang Stark, sealed Pepe’s fate. In fact, why don’t we give Alves a gold medal for his somersaults, rolling antics! He is an unsporting player if there ever was one; such a shame for his undoubted talent. Seconds later, Jose Mourinho had too much to say to the UEFA officials and was promptly sent away from the touchline and locked behind a security gate. Mourinho’s bitter post-match press conference might land him in further hot water with the authorities and when you start blaming UNICEF for your defeat; then this suggest that Mourinho is a very sore loser.
Enough of the bickering, let’s remember Messi’s genius, which lit up this drab and silly semi-final. He escaped the attentions of Xabi Alonso to finish off Ibrahim Afellay’s cross with fifteen minutes remaining, giving Barcelona the crucial away goal. Ten minutes later, Messi went on a weaving run; leaving four defenders for dead and slotting past Iker Casillas to score one of the greatest goals ever seen in Champions League history. Can anyone stop Messi? Well, he’s Manchester United’s problem now! The second legs this week are nothing more than playing through the motions now.
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