Man Utd look for Wembley redemption
Jon Carter
This year, the home of football plays host to the most prestigious prize in the European club game - the Champions League - and two better teams could not have been handpicked as English champions Manchester United take on Spanish champions Barcelona.
The game at Wembley is a rematch of the 2009 final that was won 2-0 by Barcelona in Rome and pits the competition's best defence (United's four goals conceded in 12 games) against its best attack (Barcelona's 27 goals in theirs). It also sees two of the best performing sides over the last few years meet: Barcelona have made three finals in the last six editions, while United reached their third in the last four when they beat Schalke.
On paper, it is very hard to separate the two, although Manchester Utd are the only unbeaten side in the Champions League this season, with nine wins and three draws.
Sir Alex Ferguson is bidding to become the most decorated manager in the competition's history - tied with Liverpool's Bob Paisley on three titles - but has a tough choice ahead of him over how he will set his side up. In European games, Fergie has preferred to use the industry of
Park Ji-Sung on the flanks, but that means a place on the bench for either Nani or
Antonio Valencia. In central midfield, too, the boss must make a tough choice to leave out Anderson,
Paul Scholes or
Michael Carrick as he prefers a central role for
Ryan Giggs. Chances are that Fergie will opt for the same team that beat Schalke 2-0 in the semi-final first leg and, with supposed 'home' advantage, will be confident of pulling off an upset.
Barcelona's previous visit to Wembley, in 1992, saw a late-gasp defeat of Sampdoria to win their first European Cup, but their only defeat in the Champions League this season was in London, when they lost 2-1 at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium last February.
There is no secret as to how the Catalans will set up. Their 4-1-2-3 system, playing
tiki-taka possession football, is revered around the world and the stats are impressive. Barca are the only side to have completed more than 90% of passes in the Champions League this season, whilst Xavi and
Sergio Busquets are the only players to have completed more than 1,000 passes (1,103 and 1,035 respectively).
In terms of team selection, the only question mark for coach Pep Guardiola comes in the left-back role. Guardiola must decide whether to bring
Eric Abidal back into the fray after surgery on a liver tumour, but may worry that he is not yet ready for a game of such magnitude. The other option available is that
Carles Puyol moves to the flank and defensive midfielder
Javier Mascherano resumes the position he took up against Real Madrid in the centre of defence.
Mascherano's inclusion would seem a gamble given the current form of United striker
Javier Hernandez (in stark contrast to
Dimitar Berbatov who has failed to score in his last 1134 minutes of action in the Champions League), but the battle for supremacy in European football could hinge on it.
Manchester United player to watch: Edwin Van der Sar. The last time the Dutchman will ever pull on a United shirt could be the greatest moment of his career, or one of the worst. A truly great goalkeeper, Van der Sar's agility and bravery mark him out above his peers but it is his consistency that makes him such a prized asset and he has the best saves-to-shots ratio in the competition this season, having saved 31 of 35 shots faced. Also becoming the first goalkeeper ever to keep 50 clean sheets in the Champions League, he has been a rock at the back for United as they have embarked on an incredible defensive run, but he will have to be at his commanding best if he is to keep the magical Messi quiet and seal his place in record books as the oldest player to win the trophy.
Barcelona player to watch: Andres Iniesta. In 2009, it was Iniesta who took the plaudits for a dominant performance in the middle of midfield and, since then, he has continued to improve - including netting the winning goal in the World Cup final. Not the biggest of central midfielders, he uses his body exceptionally well and can be a tough customer to knock off the ball, but it is his vision and passing skills that make him such a dangerous opponent. As he has shown this year already he can step up on the big occasion and will be a vital player in Barcelona's passing game. He could be the man unlock the miserly United defence.
Key battle: Nemanja Vidic v Lionel Messi. The Premier League's best defender by a long shot, Vidic has oozed confidence this season and when he is partnered with
Rio Ferdinand, United look unbeatable. The Serbian's power, pace and reading of the game mean that Barcelona will find a tough obstacle in their way, but they have the world's best player to help them break down the wall. Messi, playing as a 'false nine' will not be giving Vidic his usual test of aerial and physical challenges, and instead will drop deep and run at his man with the ball at his feet. The Argentine can be unstoppable on his day - although he has never scored on English soil in the Champions League - and the United defence will be keen to avoid a repeat of the 2009 final, when he scored a rare headed goal.
Trivia: Has a player ever left Old Trafford to go on to win so much?
Gerard Pique left United in 2008 after picking up Premier League and Champions League winners' medal and joined Barcelona where he won six trophies in his first season (La Liga, Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup). He has since won two more La Liga titles and also the small matter of the 2010 World Cup with Spain. And he's still only 24.
Stats: This will be the 11th meeting between Barcelona and Manchester United, in all competitions. The record is perfectly balanced with three wins each and four draws and the 10 previous meetings have seen a grand total of 31 goals, an average of 3.1 per game.
Odds: Barcelona (2.00), Manchester United (3.75), and the draw (3.50) are on offer with
bet365, while Lionel Messi to score the last goal is 5.00.
Prediction: An incredibly tough one to call. United will be the toughest test that Barcelona have faced this season and it's hard to imagine the Spaniards dominating like they did in 2009. One feels a piece of magic from any of the world-class players on show will win the game.
