Champions League final matchup is a striker's dream

[Lazie]

LONDON — Barcelona is out to do much more than take the Champions League title away from Manchester United when they meet in the final in Rome.

Pep Guardiola's team wants to prove itself the best and most entertaining in the world.
After United knocked out Arsenal on Tuesday and Barcelona eliminated Chelsea on Wednesday, the two European powerhouses will square off on May 27 in the matchup fans across the continent have looked forward to all season.

While United is trying to hold on to the title it won in Moscow last year, Barcelona is chasing its third title and hoping to end the English Premier League's recent dominance in European soccer's most prestigious competition.

Both teams also look set to win their domestic leagues, with United three points ahead in the Premier League with a game in hand, and Barcelona seven in front in La Liga.

But the statistics aren't the most important thing in this final.
It is a meeting of perhaps the two most entertaining clubs in Europe, both of them with big-name forwards who enjoy taking opponents apart with their imaginative interpassing.
"It's great to be playing against such a top side as Manchester United," Guardiola said after a dramatic 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge put his team through on away goals. Andres Iniesta equalized in the third minute of injury time after Michael Essien's ninth-minute strike threatened to put Chelsea through.

United manager Alex Ferguson has to decide which of his three main strikers — Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez — to leave on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo also attacking from the wings.
Guardiola usually sends his trio of strikers — Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o — out together, and they have rewarded him with a combined 69 league goals out of a total of 100. That century was reached on Saturday with a spectacular 6-2 victory at Real Madrid, Barcelona's main rival.
The likelihood of all these attacking stars playing at Rome's Olympic Stadium suggests the game could be one of the best in the 53-year history of the competition.

Behind these forwards are some of the best midfielders, too.
United will be able to field veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, while Barca has Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, two of the stars of Spain's impressive triumph at last year's European Championship.

Barcelona reached its sixth final despite the absence of three defenders on Wednesday through injury or suspension. Defender Eric Abidal was sent off against Chelsea on Wednesday and will be suspended for the final, as will Daniel Alves, who picked up a second yellow card in the competition. But Guardiola will have Carles Puyol back after serving a ban.

United meanwhile, has set some impressive defensive records this season.
United's center back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic made huge contributions to goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar going a British record 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal in the league.
Giggs gets the chance to be on the winning side for the third time, having also played in the 1999 and 2008 finals. Scholes was suspended for the '99 victory over Bayern Munich in Barcelona but played in last year's win over Chelsea.

"It's not a nice feeling when you have to sit there and watch the final. Obviously if you're team is in the final, you want to be involved," said Scholes, who has just gone past 600 appearances for the Reds. "It's the biggest game of your life, the European Cup final, everyone wants to be playing and it's desperately disappointing if you can't be."
United midfielder Darren Fletcher will get that experience this time, after being harshly sent off for bringing down Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the semifinal second leg with his team already coasting at 3-0 up.

[Assasin]

I think Manu going to show the way to Barcelona.

Despite having some good players but their midfield is all short, not the fastest and not the toughest. We saw what Chelsea did to Barcelona in the first leg and I think Manu would have taken note.

The big difference in my view could be Henry if he is fit as he can play from outside and make good use of the wide areas.

Barcelona defenders while good may have problem coping with Ronaldo and Rooney.

[Gamma]

yes..henry is the wild card having faced united many many times before.

[Jangle]

.....yes........and we also know how to play him out of the game too. He is not coming with any new tricks. He plays wide on the left, then cuts to his right just outside the 18 and looks to either shoot (bending the ball to the far corner) or pass. Using O'Shea as RB with Park running back to help out.......different team same treatment.

[Gamma]

the difference here is that you will have eto'o and messi to deal with as well.....

question...do you think that arshavin would have made a difference n the way the gunners played against man u in the cl semis?

[Lazie]

the difference here is that you will have eto'o and messi to deal with as well.....

question...do you think that arshavin would have made a difference n the way the gunners played against man u in the cl semis?

When the Empire nyam Barca's food last season, the three of them played. Henry and Messi better practice dem defending cause they gonna need to chip in.

Regarding the second question ... the only difference him would mek is the starting line up fi Arsenal. The result would have been the same.

[Assasin]

O'Shea might not be the best back to use, Henry too mobile and Oshea can be a little slow to compete. I think that is a perfect matchup for Henry.

[Lazie]

O'Shea might not be the best back to use, Henry too mobile and Oshea can be a little slow to compete. I think that is a perfect matchup for Henry.

Fergie have 4 options for that position. Oshea, who I think may get the start, Rafael, Wes Brown or Gary Neville.

[Assasin]

I don't think Brown is an option now. He hasn't played any competitive game recently and a rusty Brown would be food for Henry.

You can play Rafeal but tell him to stay home, Neville experience counts but if he is fit enough.

[Jangle]

they have Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez/Berbatov to deal with........

answer to your question is NO. When the juggernaut, which is the Emepire, starts rolling, it's best to get out of the way or you will be crushed. Plain and Simple.

[Lazie]

they have Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez/Berbatov to deal with........

answer to your question is NO. When the juggernaut, which is the Emepire, starts rolling, it's best to get out of the way or you will be crushed. Plain and Simple.

Don't be surprised if Fergie use all 4 at some point. ... Rooney and Ronaldo on the wings, Tevez playing ahead of Berbatov. Yesterday evening I stopped in the student center watching the second half and some students were asking why a Manu fan would want to meet Barca .... they all seem fasinated with Barca's attack ... its as if they forget that Barca's defense have to face the Empire's attack.

[Jangle]

Fergie compensates for a slow wingback by having Park run back, or whoever is playing RM to shuffle over. I would go with O'Shea over the other 3. Rafael is not YET a good defender, as he tends to go in a little too rash. Brown lacks match practice. Neville is a tad bit too slow, but I prefer him going forward over O'Shea. I think Neville is one of the best crossers of the ball when he plays WB. O'Shea is sturdier than all of them and is not easy to pushover.

[Muadib]

Good approach.. confidence.. don't get silly with it though... like putting money on the game..