Champions League Final Set
Barcelona and Manchester United will square off once again in the final of the Champions League. It is the second time in three years that the teams will meet in the final. Barcelona won 2-0 in 2009, so United will be out looking for revenge. I’m really looking forward to it…it should be a great game.
Both teams still had work to do after they won their opening semi-final matches 2-0. Barcelona were in a good position after the first leg but still had to hold off an attacking Real Madrid side, which is exactly what they did. I believe that Real Madrid did not have a shot on target until their goal in the latter stages of the second half. Barcelona bossed the first half and much of the second and eventually won the tie 3-1 on aggregate. I think that despite the whining by Madrid about UEFA favoring Barcelona, it is obvious to me that Barca are the better team. Without a doubt they are beatable by anybody (Hércules beat them in Barcelona, 2-0), but they always turn up for the big games and compete.
Like Barcelona, Manchester United took a 2-0 lead into their second leg in both comfort and discomfort. They were in a good position, but could not afford to get overconfident and blow their lead. United fielded a weakened team from the first leg, but they were more than up to the task. It was 2-1 United at the half before Anderson added two more goals in the second to give United a 4-1 win on the night and a 6-1 aggregate win to send them to the final. The games against Schalke were all too easy for them, but it was good to see Schalke get so far.
I agree that both ManU and Barca “handled” their opponents in the semis…now who will do the “handling” in the final. BTW, there was a despicable amount of diving in the Spanish game.