I spent a lot of time this last week thinking about who I thought had the edge in this match. On one hand, I think Barca has been hands down the best team in Europe this year. They're so selfish with possession, they have such good quality players they looked like the clear choice. On the other hand, you knew the English would come out support United. All year, Manchester United has embodied that never say die spirit in grinding out the results they needed to win the Premier League title. In the end, I decided Barca would probably win 2-1. I just couldn't bet against Messi.
Well it was a good thing I didn't. However, United did come to play. They did especially well in the first 10 minutes or so. They kept the ball quite a bit, denying Barca their game. The United pressure was really good, and the back four for Barca started to show some uneasiness. Unfortunately, they couldn't translate it into any chances, except one where Javier Hernandez was totally offside.
United couldn't keep the pressure up though. Barca eventually got the ball, and then they started playing their game. United was reduced to chasing the ball. In the 17th, minute Pedro had the first serious chance and just barely missed. It was a portent of things to come. The shots started coming from Villa and company, Barca had settled. Finally in the 27th minute, Xavi sliced a nice pass into Pedro who put it past Van der Sar and gave Barcelona the 1-0 lead. Good stuff.
United responded though. Again, this is not a team that gives up. Rooney decided he was not going to be absent from this big game, and his presence was felt. In the 33rd minute, he did a nice little 1-2 with Ryan Giggs and calmly put the ball into the Barca net to equalize at 1-1. Very nice goal. Totally against the run of play. United played much better the rest of the first half to hold that tie until the break at 1-1.
The second half was a different story. United never had a chance. Barcelona came out really looking to put their stamp on the match and that's exactly what they did. Van der Sar was left for dead in goal by United, and Barca put on sensation pressure. The Little Genius himself scored his first goal on English soil in the 55th minute. The United defense left him all lone, for some reason, at the top of the area and Messi just buried it to give Barca the 2-1 lead.
It never got any better for United either. Van der Sar faced shot after shot, stopping almost all of them. The one he didn't get came off the foot of David Villa. Again United left him space and he put it in from the top of the box to make it 3-1. United were toast an reduced to squabbling. Giggs in particular. In the 78th minute he complained for a penalty while HE STILL HAD THE BALL. Giggs knows better, perhaps sleeping with a reality tv star has made him stupid. United never threatened again and the match ended 3-1.
Congrats to Barcelona, the 2011 UEFA Champions League Champs!
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