Barcelona outclass United to take the title

It was the biggest date in the European club game: the UEFA Champions League final, and the match-up was precisely the one connoisseurs of the game had been hoping for – cup holders Manchester United and Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

Both had played attractive attacking football all year, and won their respective leagues with points to spare. But only one of the two titans brought their good form into this game: Barca.

As the game began, United actually was the fresher side, as the English champs came out swinging.

In the very first minute, Cristiano Ronaldo whipped in a free kick from 25 meters out that almost beat Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes, and Barcelona did well to clear before Park Ji-Sung could pounce on the rebound.

Ronaldo went close in the eighth minute as well, volleying just wide, and when the first goal came in a minute later the biggest surprise was that it was Barca's.

A quick turn in the tide

The Catalans' powerful Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o latched onto a simple ball from Andres Iniesta on the right side of the area, and cut inside past a surprisingly lackadaisical Nemanja Vidic. A split-second before United's Michael Carrick, tracking back, put in a slide tackle, Eto'o fired a low shot into the opposite corner. An easy goal, and one United more or less served up to Barcelona on a platter.

That the goal came against the run of play seemed to disappoint United, as longtime manager Alex Ferguson admitted after the match.

"I think the first goal was a killer for us – their first attack and they scored," he said. "We'd started bravely too, very confident. We got a little bit nervous after that."

United lost possession right after the re-start, giving up a corner, and slowly but surely ceded control of the match to Barcelona. By the twentieth minute, Barcelona was playing its familiar possession game, often stringing together 10, 12, even 15 passes on the trot.

One-man show falls short

Cristiano Ronaldo was just about the only United player pushing the tempo, going on a number of solo runs that Barcelona's defense could only stop with by a good solid hip-check as he pushed past, following the ball.

One such foul, from Gerard Pique, set up a free kick but didn't draw a yellow card; another, from Yaya Toure, was not called at all.

But United's grapes couldn't have been too sour going into halftime – one player's good effort just doesn't outweigh those of another ten who looked lost in the face of a footballing juggernaut.

Second verse…

The second half began much as the first had, with a lively United, made a bit livelier by the hard-charging striker Carlos Tevez. United were crisp in attack, and had a few promising looks at the goal.

This time, though, Barcelona was also in form from the outset, holding possession for spells while United watched the ball flit around the pitch.

United midfielder Ryan Giggs said the team was encouraged that it was creating chances, but was ultimately overwhelmed.

"Barcelona can make you look silly, and at times we maybe chased it and didn't keep our shape as well as we could have," said Giggs. "Still, we probably created more chances than Barcelona."

But those chances didn't amount to goals. After United brought on two more attacking players in Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes, it was really only a matter of time before United's ambition to level the score was punished at the back.

Sealing the deal

In the 70th minute, Barcelona's midfielder Xavi spotted Lionel Messi nearly alone making a run into the box. He sent in a looping cross that the Argentine striker sent skillfully in the opposite direction – catching United keeper Edwin van der Saar off balance so badly that all he could do was wave as it sailed by.

The moment was emblematic of the night – pretty, precise, and effective play from Barcelona, and a United side who seemed to recognize that they were beaten.

"We had some half-chances in the second half, and we should have done better with our crosses," said Alex Ferguson. "But in fairness, we were beaten by a better team."

A place in history

It's the third time Barcelona have won the Champions League, having also hoisted the cup in 1992 and 2006. As French striker Thierry Henry reminded the press after the game, the Catalan side also made history in Spanish football.

"I have no words to describe what we have done this year," he said. "It’s not only the Champions League, no team has ever has done the triple in Spain and we’ll always remain as the first one to do it."

Barcelona’s three titles for the season are the Champions League, the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) and the Spanish league crown.

Author: Matt Hermann

Editor: Mark Hallam