2011 UEFA Champions League final - Brilliant Barca down United dream

CONVINCING: Barcelona's players celebrate with the European Cup

BARCELONA turned on the style last Saturday, overcoming Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium to regain the UEFA Champions League.  It is a third title in six years for the La Liga champions, who now are equal holders for the most Champions League’s (three, with bitter arch rivals Real Madrid).  After the match, Pepe Guardiola confirmed he would be staying with the Catalans for another season, and on the evidence of this performance, he would have been crazy to think about leaving the Nou Camp.  Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, who have made everyone look ordinary in the Premiership this season, were made to look distinctively average by Barcelona’s fearsome attack, which would have anyone quaking in their boots. 

      Like the 2009 final encounter between the sides in Rome, it was the English champions who started the stronger.  Javier Mascherano, playing as an emergency centre-back, seemed uncertain against Wayne Rooney in the opening exchanges.  Ferguson had shocked Dimitar Berbatov by leaving his top scorer this season out of the squad, which will raise serious questions over the Bulgarian’s long-term future at Old Trafford.  From the 15^th minute onwards, Barcelona started launching raid after raid on Edwin van der Sar’s goal.  Only some desperate defending from Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand kept the scoreline at 0-0 until the 27^th minute.  Xavi was given the freedom of the Wembley pitch, and played in Pedro, who stayed cool under a late attempted block from Vidic to beat Van der Sar, in his farewell football appearance.

HOPE: Given to United by Rooney, but it was a false dawn

     If anyone questioned the resolve of Manchester United, then the response was fantastic.  Barcelona carelessly gave possession away from a cheap throw-in and Rooney combined superbly with the off-colour Ryan Giggs to produce a stunning strike from the edge of the area, which left Victor Valdes with no chance.  Finally, Rooney had been able to produce on the biggest stage of all, after his peripheral roles in the 2008 and 2009 Champions League finals.  With the scoreline at 1-1 at half-time, the game was firmly in the balance.  What happened after the break highlighted the gulfing class between the two teams.

      Ten minutes into the second half, and with the United defence rocking, and Van der Sar having to be at his best to deny Daniel Alves, Messi seized his moment.  He stepped away from Ferdinand, and fizzled a shot which an unsighted Van der Sar couldn’t keep out.  The Dutchman will be disappointed to have not done better, but Messi wasn’t complaining.  That was the Argentine’s 53^rd goal of a staggering season.  With Darren Fletcher sill nursing a stomach bug, and Michael Owen not quite having the ultimate killer instinct he used to have at Liverpool, Ferguson’s substitute options were limited.  His only main weapon was Nani.  The dynamic Portuguese winger came on in the 68^th minute for the injured Fabio, and made an immediate telling impact.  Sadly, it was the wrong kind of impact.

      Nani gave away the ball on the edge of his own area, and a deadly Barcelona attack was never going to not punish this careless act of possession.  David Villa producing another beautiful goal, curling a shot in that gave Van der Sar no hope of keeping his attempt out.  That was that, Barcelona had completed the ultimate football performance.  There was time for Paul Scholes to make a brief cameo before he announced his retirement from the game today, and for Nani to create a late moment of panic for the untroubled Valdes.  However, this was undoubtedly Barcelona’s night, Barcelona’s season and Barcelona’s best performance ever.

     There was a nice touch at the end of the game.  Club captain Carlos Puyol allowed left-back Eric Abidal the chance to lift the European Cup.  Abidal had undergone life-saving liver surgery just 70 days ago!  His comeback to lift football’s greatest club competition prize is a story full of emotion and miracles.  For United, it isn’t the end of the world, but Ferguson knows he must come back next season, with a stronger and better squad, otherwise Barcelona will dominate European club football again.  There could be no complaints in the greatest final performance since AC Milan’s 4-0 demolition of Barcelona themselves in the 1994 final.  The class of Barcelona 2011 is quite possibly the greatest team to have graced the game.  They thoroughly deserve to be champions for such a special occasion and on this evidence, Guardiola has the ability to produce a side that can dominate European football for the next decade.

UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals, 2nd Leg - The dream final

THE destination is Wembley on May 28, and it is the final that all the neutrals really wanted.  English league leaders Manchester United will take on La Liga champions and the best side in the world, possibly even ever, Barcelona.  It will be a repeat of their 2009 final and here’s hoping it will be a better contest than it was in Rome, when the Catalans romped to a 2-0 victory. 

     There is distinguished history within the setting for both teams too.  Barcelona won their first European Cup at Wembley in 1992, when a Ronald Koeman free-kick beat Sampdoria in extra-time.  Manchester United achieved a similar feat in 1968, with a Bobby Charlton inspired team overcoming Benfica 4-1, likewise in extra-time at Wembley.  Sir Alex Ferguson will lead his side out on Europe’s premier stage for the fourth time in his reign as boss – whilst Pepe Guardiola was in the Barca team that won the 1992 Wembley final, and will become the youngest coach ever to win the Champions League twice should he succeed.

     In midweek, both teams made light work of their second leg semi-finals, after handsome wins in the first games last week.  Barcelona drew 1-1 with Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on Tuesday, in a game that was only slightly better behaved than the first game was.  Jose Mourinho didn’t even turn up; he watched the game in a hotel room and he will be doing that more often next season; now that UEFA have given him a five-match touchline ban for his insulting comments at the post-match press conference last week.  For the record, Pedro put Barcelona infront in the second half and although Angel di Maria did equalise on the night, Barcelona were the better team throughout both games.  The eight point margin they have over Madrid currently in La Liga is very good value.

EASY: Anderson beats Neuer to put the seal on an easy tie

     Manchester United had the opportunity to rest the likes of Giggs, Vidic, Ferdinand and Rooney and still beat hapless Schalke 04 4-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.  The 6-1 aggregate win didn’t flatter United; in fact, they could have won 16-1, if they’d put all their chances away!  Schalke are below midtable in the Bundesliga, and despite accounting for Benfica, Valencia and Inter Milan in the competition this season, they have been shown up for their real quality in these two matches.  Schalke are the worst ever side to have competed in the semis of the UEFA Champions League.  There can be little doubt about that.  Antonio Valencia, Darren Gibson and two goals from the dynamic Anderson registered on the evening for the home side, and despite Jose Manuel Jurado’s bullet strike before half-time, the German side offered very little resistance throughout.  Even the unflappable Manuel Neuer made two mistakes for two of the goals on Wednesday, which summed up Schalke’s performance, forgettable!

     The dream final has been set-up then, and let’s hope the 2011 UEFA Champions League final lives up to the spectacle that it promises to be.