Saturday’s Barcelona vs Manchester United Champions League Final should be considered the toughest club match of all time.

This game will be considered the biggest club match of all time not only based on TV ratings, but also on the pitch, you have the best football team in the world (Barcelona) competing against the best soccer manager in the business. (Sir Alex Ferguson). The last time these two famous teams played each other at such a competitive level was the 2009 Champions League final, resulting in a convincing win for the Catalan side, where Messi showed brilliance and was far superior than his counterpart or nemesis as you’d like to call, Christiano Ronaldo, playing then for ManU.

The game will answer the age old question regarding which is more influential for the ultimate success – a great football manager or a great football team, thus it makes Saturday’s clash of Barcelona vs Manchester United Champions League Final even more intriguing. On one hand you have soccer artisans such as Iniesta, Xavi, Messi and Villa, who play so perfectly, and posses the ball like they own it and no one else. On the other hand, you have the mastery and deep experience and wisdom of years in Sir Alex Ferguson, who can and probably will make one or two adjustments to his side before or during the game, that will often surprise you and likely the opposition but will often bring success.

Speaking of success, Sir Alex Ferguson’s impressive achievements conclude two Champions League trophies, 12 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cup wins, 1 UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup, 4 League Cups and several other trophies. He has the uncanny skill to pick the right players for the right positions. Many may not consider him the best tactician, but he does get the best out of his players and holds them to the highest standards, just like another brilliant manager, who is an expert of getting the best performance out of his players:

Ukrainian giants Shaktar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu stated this week that Barcelona is favourite going into the Champions League final vs Manchester United. When asked, he said “Barcelona’s strength is possession, controlling the direction and rhythm of the game. They know exactly what they must do”

Barcelona traveled one day earlier as planned to London, on Wednesday in the afternoon, due to the bad experiences just before the from Icelandic Volcano Eruption last year, whereas Manchester United will held a homecourt advantage at Wembley.

Head-to-head comparisons of key players prior to Saturday’s Barcelona vs Manchester United Champions League Final 2011 at Wembley:

Messi vs Rooney

Messi is two years younger than Rooney but his accomplishments easily surpass those of his counterpart ManU striker. Although Messi is just 23, FIFA has made the Argentina forward FIFA world player of the year in each of the past two years, and commentators regularly suggest its the only thing keeping Messi from becoming a legend that he hasn’t won a World Cup with Argentina National Team to join Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Pele as one of football’s all-time greats.
While Wayne Rooney’s sheer physical power, robustness and spectacular goals have helped inspire Manchester United to four Premier League titles in five seasons, Lionel Messi has reached a goal balance at the rate of two goals every three games over seven years with Barcelona and won two Champions League titles to Rooney’s one.

Barcelona vs Manchester United means also Messi vs Rooney

This season clearly shows the difference in consistency between these players. Wayne Rooney struggled hard through the first half after a poor World Cup performance and media restraint over his private life, but Messi, “The Flea”, led the Spanish league with 19 assists and scored an incredible 52 goals from 54 games. He helped Barcelona to a third straight Spanish title and his fifth in  7 years.

But despite the goals, neither player your usual striker type. Both players tend to spend long periods in deep-lying positions, picking up possession, drawing opponents and linking with teammates before surging into the space they helped create, just like predators lurking upon their prey.

Messi’s movement and dribbling skills will cause problems  for Manchester United’s defenders. They have to decide which one of them should pick Messi up . Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic from central defending zone ? Or will he be marked by a midfielder such as Darren Fletcher. Alex Ferguson will find a more teamwork effort to stop the Agentinian Magician. Likewise, Rooney could cause problems for Barcelona’s aging Carles Puyol.

 

Next: Barcelona vs. Manchester United Champions League Final Preview..Players Head to Head Analysis

Xavi vs Carrick

 

 

NationalTurk – Sports / John Steel
john-steel@nationalturk.com

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