FC Barcelona and Manchester United held the headlines of the soccer world this past week and they didn't disappoint. In a match with various underlying themes (Manchester United redeeming their 2009 Final loss & Barcelona reclaiming their spot at the top of Europe), both sides were aware of the historical ramifications of this game. The winner would transcend to a different level in European folklore by claiming a 4th title. The odds were pretty stacked against Manchester United and how would they fair?
Surely Manchester United would fair better than the last time they and Barcelona faced off on this stage which saw a United side being taught a footballing lesson. Sir Alex Ferguson had spent the entire week preparing tactically for this match which required some of the toughest managerial decisions he's made in his career. Ferguson decided to leave his league-leading goal scorer completely off the team sheet as Dimitar Berbatov was left to watch the UEFA Champions League Final in the stands. It was a choice Ferguson lamented on afterwards as he had to bolster his midfield and defensive options in an attempt to contain Barcelona's midfield.
Manchester United went with a starting XI consisting of Hernandez, Rooney, Park, Giggs, Carrick, Valencia, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Fabio and Van der Sar. The latter of the formation, officially playing in his last match in a glorious career which sees him leave the game at the tender age of 40. In my match preview I had insisted that United use players who were both physical and experienced which I felt Sir Alex did with a few exceptions. Fabio was the clear oddity I saw, but perhaps Ferguson felt he had no better option or that his speed and skill could be useful on the counter. Furthermore, he decided to go with Giggs at the center which although brought in experience, he was going to be no match for the midfield contingent of Barcelona.
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| Edwin Van der Sar (center) had hoped to leave the game on winning terms. |
With that said, United started off well and looked to be creating frustration within the Barcelona ranks until Pedro put through the opener. United's game-plain had begun to break-down as Barcelona was sustaining prolonged times of possession which led to a United defensive hole. Despite that, United were able to level within minutes through Wayne Rooney after Barcelona had opened up a hole of their own and we went into half-time knotted up at 1-1.
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| Rooney sends United level before the half. |
Manchester United seemed to do just enough to in it for the 2nd half. Last time around they were already down 1-0 at half-time and came out flat seemingly being dejected already. This time things seemed different, but the game slowly changed into total Barcelona favor. United's midfield pressure finally began break-down as Giggs, who had shown some difficulties early on, was being beaten by sprouts of Barcelona possession. Antonio Valencia was also having many difficulties as his frustration eventually led him to be cautioned. A momentary lapse in concentration which saw United's defense laying off too much allowed Lionel Messi to strike a rocket into Van der Sar's net. Barcelona had taken a 2-1 lead and only looked to score more.
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| Messi gives Barcelona the go-ahead goal. |
United then began pressing more with Patrice Evra making it into the Barcelona half for the first time all match it seemed. Nani was brought in to replace an injured Fabio as Valencia withdrew to RB. Nani ran in and almost immediately he was put into a situation where he had to mark Messi. Messi cleverly anticipated Nani's challenge with a sublime move which saw his pass deflected; however, United's failure to clear the ball led to a superb strike from David Villa which virtually put an end to United's chances of claiming redemption. United pressed forward within the last 10 minutes as both Nani and Rooney had opportunities that went just wide. In the end, it was Barcelona who deserved all the praise.
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| David Villa strikes a sublime shot to give Barcelona a 3-1 advantage. |
Many will credit Lionel Messi as a God now after this victory and although he played a great match and tournament, the entire side was nearly perfect throughout and deserve just as much praise. In particular, I was impressed with the performances of both Xavi and Iniesta. These 2 have done nothing short of dominate the world since 2008 having won 2 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA European Championship, 1 FIFA World Cup and also tons of domestic honors. They may very well go down as the greatest midfield partnership ever when we look back at these performances in the future.
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| Xavi & Iniesta: The best central midfield pairing in the world. |
Congratulations to FC Barcelona as they have succeeded in winning their 4th European Cup and their 2nd in 3 years. All eyes will be on them once again as clubs will look to find a way to end their dominance which will be fun to watch. Until then, The Sweeper Report will bid farewell to this season's UEFA Champions League.
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| Pep Guardiola has cemented a spot after winning his 2nd European Cup in 3 years. |
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