UEFA Champions League Final 2009 – Barcelona vs. Manchester United
A report and analysis of this years UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United.
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Brilliant Barca Beat Bitter United
Barcelona are the new champions of Europe! The Spanish side drifted to a 2-0 victory over England’s Manchester United in this years UEFA Champions League Final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Goals from Samuel Eto’o and wonder-kid Lionel Messi secured the European crown.
United started by far the better team with a few chances inside the first ten minutes, many of which fell to star-man Christiano Ronaldo. He fired wide on a couple of occasions, and blasted a free-kick straight at Barca keeper Victor Valdes, who could do no more than to parry the ball towards United’s Park Ji-Sung, only to be blocked by former United player Gerard Pique the millisecond before he would blast the ball into the net. And before United could pick up the ball to have another go, in the tenth , minute Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, who had been played in by Andres Iniesta danced past the United defence and knocked the ball into the net, via Van Der Sar’s glove. United remained in shock for the rest of the first half, unnecessarily giving the ball away all over the pitch.
United were, however, better in the second half, but still lacking the championship winning edge. The English side kept attacking in the second half only to be undone in the seventieth minute by a delightful cross from Xavi bouncing off Argentine superstar Lionel Messi’s head, leaving the United keeper Van Der Sar to agonisingly watch the ball float past him and nestle into the net. By this time, United hopes were all but dead, the team tried to push on and get at least one goal to spark an amazing comeback, but it wasn’t to be. It was Barca’s night. The Spanish outfit really showed why they are, now undoubtedly, the best team in Europe.
Overall, the statistics tell most of the story, with Barcelona having slightly more possession (51% to 49%), United having one more shot, but the difference was whether it was on target or not as Barca had 10 shots (8 on target, 2 off target) and Man United had 11 shots (2 on target, 9 off target).
For United it was a matter of being outplayed, for Barca it was a matter of same old. Congratulations to Barcelona FC, UEFA Champions League Winners 2008/09.
