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The Final!
By Toyin | May 23, 2009
After nine months of rigorous exertions on the field of play and more than a hundred matches, we are down to the finals of the 2009 UEFA Champions League. The date, May 27, 2009 will go down in history as either the day that Manchester United won their fourth European cup or the day that Barcelona cornered their third crown. What an irony that the two clubs in the finals have won the competition twice in the last three years and they are among the most recently successful in that competition with the Spanish side winning in 2006 while the English side won theirs just last year.
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This year’s final is a dream come true for many a football neutral. It’s a great opportunity for the two contrasting traditions of play to step to the main limelight that is the finals to showcase what this is all about and for us, addicted fans to see which one prevails. The encounter cannot be better scripted; it is indeed going to be a spectacle to behold the likes of Xavi, Keita and Iniesta slug it out against Carrick, Anderson and Scholes in the battle to command that vital area of play-the midfield.
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Manchester United
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Having enjoyed another highly successful season in the Premiership, Manchester United believes, and rightly so, that winning the champions league is the icing on their already juicy cake! They won their third championship on the trot and completed a very successful season with a credible draw against their fierce rivals, Arsenal to draw level with Liverpool on the most numbers of titles won in England. After the euphoria of that accomplishment and the accompanying celebrations, they quickly shifted their focus to the next one; the one we’ve all been waiting for-UEFA Champions League finals.
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Apart from the suspended Darren Fletcher (harshly so) and the doubtful Rio Ferdinand, the team has the full complement of all the players to prosecute this serious match. I can imagine that in a situation that Rio fails to prove his fitness against Hull City tomorrow, Johnny Evans will pair Vidic in defense and that will be that!
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Tactics
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The Red Devils took counter attacking football to another level against Arsenal in both legs of the semi finals. This has been the hallmark of their game throughout the season and they are not likely to change this successful tactics in the final especially when one considers the fact that Barcelona is not one of the fastest teams out there.
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Manchester United utilizes the quick burst of speed from Evra, Rooney and Ronaldo to unsettle opposing defenders, lure them out positions and look for that final pass to get a goal. They are also not afraid to go for it in terms of grit and determination. A rampaging Rooney won’t be an easy threat to cope with on any day say less a champions’ league final!
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A particular point of interest for me is whether SAF would start with the hardworking Carlos Tervez or the ‘lazy’ but mercurial Dimitar Berbertov. Whoever he starts with, you can be sure that part of the instruction would be to help out in defense whenever they don’t have the ball. And if what we’ve seen so far this season is anything to go by, this could prove to be very crucial as the team tends to unduly suffer when they are out of possession.
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Barcelona
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They broke all kinds of records on their way to winning the La Liga. The team, in all competitions this season has scored more than 150 goals. They scored more goals than any other team on the way to the finals of the champions’ league; they have lost in only five competitive matches all season and they won the Copa Del Rey just before being confirmed Spanish champions due to Real Madrid’s lose to Villarreal last week.
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Can any team keep the ball better than Barcelona? I don’t know of any! They play one of the most exciting football to see and they do it style with short passes and interlink play most times unreal and at the same time engaging. When they are in their elements, and they are often in it; they blow teams apart with their creativity and highly talented players.
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Tactics
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If there’s anything I respect concerning the appointment of Pep Guardiola into the team is the fact that since the beginning of his highly successful take off as the manager, he did not change the tactical formation of the team; he only introduced new players with his own particular ideas in force. I have deep respect for his continual faith in the young Sergei Bosquets and Gerrard Pique-only Arsene Wenger does this in Europe!
With the suspensions to Dani Alves and Eric Abidal, Barcelona’s famous weakness; their defense is even thinner than usual. What the reality is that they have only three dedicated defenders to face the Red Devils, others like Yaya Toure would at best be makeshift and temporary. Were Rafael Marquez to be available, this current situation won’t be such a big deal but as a team, they must know what the plan B is as they go for broke on Wednesday.
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Other Issues
Since the CL evolved into its present format, no team has been able to win it back to back. Manchester United and its very successful coach revels in proving people wrong and breaking records. Remember, they slew the Dragon right in its den in Porto; a feat never accomplished till that time! They are so fired up that you can imagine them saying at the end of the match that ‘we told you so’.
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Barcelona on the other hand has a very negative historical fact against their aspiration. No team, in the history of the game has been able to win the La Liga, Copa Del Rey and the CL all in a single season!
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What is going to happen? We only have to wait till Wednesday to find. And sorry, if I disappoint you, I think I know who will win on Wednesday!
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My Prediction
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In a match that’s going to be tight than expected, I expect Manchester United to beat Barcelona through a lone goal!
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Topics: Biz Football, Hot Stars, Cold Sands, La Liga, Premiership, The Champion, The Gaffer, Who Will Win |
May 24th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Go, Barcelona, go!
May 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I agree with you. Yes the match will be very tight, but Barcelona will have the day.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I want Man U to win again; let Platini continue to ‘burn’.
May 25th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
no other champions league final could have been more thrilling and entertaining than watching lionel messi and chris ronaldo dazzle against each other on the same pitch. just can’t wait 2 b in rome
May 25th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Tough match its going to be no doubt but I expect the Blaugrana to carry the day.
This is going to be club football at its peak.
May 26th, 2009 at 11:31 am
How I wish this Arsenal VS Barcelona finals! It would have been revenge time but all the same, Man U wins!
May 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
This is an anticlimax; a funny final to speak where Barcelona dominated Man U and Ronaldo was reduced to a thug on the field of play. Football………..a very amazing sport.
Congratulations to all Barca fans; u guys deserve it!
May 28th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Samuel Eto, u’r the man. keep making africans proud. we are proud of u. messi or ronaldo? who’s the best? the answer so obvious now