man u vs barcelona 2011Invariably, thoughts will meander back to the 2009 final at Rome between the same two sides. On that occasion, Barcelona were comfortable 2-0 victors bar the first ten minutes during which Man United burst forward. Eto'o scored after ten minutes and Messi guided in a rare header to make it an easy win which was laced with some exquisite display of passing football from the Catalans. In the pre-match press conference, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he had figured exactly what went wrong in Rome. He said: "We are very focused this time and our preparation has been better. We maybe made one or two mistakes last time, but not this time.
The players have to trust themselves and trust each other because I trust them. I know they'll do the job right. This team has unity and our record in Europe this year is good. We're used to playing in Europe, we have that experience and we're pleased with what we've achieved this year in Europe." Considering Sir Alex has fixed the chinks in his side's armor, this should be a battle to relish. The two sides are more evenly matched than they were two years back, despite United losing Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. In fact, it seems to have made them much more of a team. Rooney has been touted to come good against Messi and co. and it could be a career-defining performance from the ex-Evertonian. Stopping Messi is a tough ask though. The internet has been bombarded with many pundits opining on how best to stop him. Some have suggested Rio Ferdinand to take the risk, step forward and halt the wily Argentine, while United's central midfielders cut out his supply line - Xavi and Andres Iniesta. It's easier said than done though, which is one of the many factors making this a classic before it has even been played. Both sides are aiming to do the double. Only one of them will do so. Slight fractions have touted Barcelona as favorites, but only just. The Catalans are expected to dominate possession and pass around United, tiring out the midfield whilst picking out the forward three of Messi, David Villa and Pedro with some sharp passing. Their opposition is expected to sit back and soak in the pressure and hit them with the famous Man United counters.
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