Manchester United will have to give one of the performances of their season if they are to lift the European Cup this year. Barcelona are not unbeatable, invincible or untouchable - but they will undoubtedly be favourites, and nothing but a Manchester United side at its very best, at its most resilient, will stand any chance of being crowned European champions.
Fittingly, Wembley will host this final between two clubs who both won their very first European Cup at the Old Wembley stadium. Manchester United defeated Benfica 4-1 in 1968, while Barcelona, whose team included current manager Pep Guardiola, overcame Sampdoria in 1992. Since then, both clubs have gone on to win two more European Cups apiece, a tally which leaves the two current giants of the game trailing the likes of Ajax and Bayern Munich.
The Champions League is the greatest club competition in football - some, such as Sir Alex Ferguson, claim it has surpassed the World Cup in recent years. Both United and Barca are desperate to lift this trophy for the fourth time in their history. Barcelona have been labelled as one of the greatest teams of all time, but teams will only be remembered for the trophies they win. If this current Barcelona team still want to be talked about thirty years down the line, it is imperative that they win more major trophies. Manchester United, by their manager’s own admission, have underachieved in Europe during his tenure. His desire and determination to win the Champions League again is there for all to see. United this year will contest their third Champions League final in four years - a great achievement for any club, and signs of Ferguson’s progress on the European stage.
It’s safe to say that Barcelona will enjoy more possession than Manchester United on the night. They have seen more of the ball than their opponents in every game since 2008, when Real Madrid defeated them 4-1 at the Bernabeu. United can allow Barcelona possession in certain areas of the pitch without pressing them too much, but when players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta have the ball at their feet in the attacking third, it is vital to close them down as quickly as possible. Easier said than done, I know, but the Red Devils did a pretty decent job of that in the 2008 semi final when Barca failed to find the net across the 180 minutes. The following year, when these two met in the final, it was a different story. United started relatively well but never recovered from Samuel Etoo’s opener.
One of very few flaws in Barcelona’s play can often be their wastefulness. A perfect example is their second leg of the first knockout round against Arsenal. Barca dominated the entire game, creating chance after chance. Arsenal failed to register a single shot on goal - and yet Nicklas Bendtner ran through one on one in the dying minutes and, had he scored, would have sent the Gunners through to the next round. If the Catalans don’t take their chances at Wembley, United will capitalise on their profligacy.
Barring any potential injuries, Barcelona’s line up should be fairly easy to predict. Valdes will start in goal, with Alves, Puyol, Pique and Abidal in front of him. Busquets will anchor the midfield with Xavi and Iniesta ahead of him, and their front three will consist of Pedro, Villa and Messi. If that team performs to its maximum - slick passing, clever movement and a desire to win back possession, there really are few things their opposition can do.
Manchester United‘s line up, on the other hand, would be harder to forecast. Van Der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra pick themselves. Ferguson would have O’Shea, Rafael or Fabio to choose from at right back, and O’Shea could get the nod for his experience, and his ability to defend might outweigh his inability to attack. Ferguson’s biggest selection headache is likely to be how to shape the midfield and attack. If he opts for a five-man midfield, he will probably play Park Ji-Sung on the left for his work-rate and ability to help defensively, especially with Lionel Messi playing on Barcelona‘s right hand side. Sir Alex would then choose between Valencia and Nani for a start on the right, and will then pick three central midfielders from Carrick, Fletcher, Giggs, Scholes and Anderson, with the first three likely to be preferred. Wayne Rooney would then be employed as a lone striker.
Scenario B for United, which they used in both quarter final legs against Chelsea and the away leg against Schalke, would be to play a 4-4-1-1, with Rooney playing just off Javier Hernandez. The two have a great partnership and the combination of Rooney’s vision and Chicharito’s finishing could make a huge difference. It would be bold of Sir Alex to opt for this and it is perhaps more conceivable that, despite an excellent debut season, Javier Hernandez will have to settle for a place on the substitutes bench. The Mexican has scored several of his goals coming off the bench this season, and many have likened him to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The resemblance would be uncanny if Chicharito can repeat Solskjaer’s heroics of ‘99. Where was that again?
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