Ferguson's men have home advantage & It's almost tradition that most British teams are stronger at home than when they play in Europe
Ferguson's men have home advantage & It's almost tradition that most British teams are stronger at home than when they play in Europe
I have seldom looked forward so much to a Champions League final. My friend Guenter Netzer, playmaker at Real Madrid in the early 1970s, says Barcelona have formed their own league -- far apart from other big teams such as AC Milan or Inter, Chelsea or Arsenal, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
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Man United's Wayne Rooney
Netzer is right up to a point. Of course, Barcelona are better than their final opponents. However, United can beat Barca. Of that I am convinced, and it has nothing to do with the fact that United just became English champions for a record 19 times.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi
United have home advantage. It is almost tradition that most British teams are stronger at home than they are when they play on mainland Europe. On the other hand Barcelona have never been bothered about where they can perform their magic. Andres Iniesta, Xavi and company can hit millimetre exact passes no matter how bumpy the turf. And Lionel Messi can score goals with his eyes closed. My considerations are purely tactical.
Man Utd are a defensively-minded team, so it will be interesting to see how Barca's players cope in trying to unlock the United defence. United then get forward quickly to play to their two strikers Wayne Rooney and the Mexican Javier Hernandez -- with Nani and Antonio Valencia providing tremendous speed on the flanks. Rooney is for me a minor miracle. I saw him in recent years as being a relatively lazy runner, slightly overweight. Today you'll find him back around the half-way line, making the sort of runs which are part of modern football.
So we have the counter-attacking United side on one hand and Barcelona with their passing ability as favourites on the other. I read a few sentences recently from Xavi which impressed me: "We are a large family. Our passing game symbolises that. Football is not the 'I' but the 'we', and in our case 'all of us'." It shows how close coach Pep Guardiola's team is.
Probable line-ups/Formations
So, I am looking forward to London's Wembey Stadium. Barcelona against Manchester United is a game which cannot disappoint, despite the nervousness and tactical constraints.
Man United vs Barcelona
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