Champions League - Brilliant Barca blow United away

Barcelona produced a sublime performance to beat Manchester United 3-1 win the Champions League final at Wembley.

Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa punctuated a mesmeric team display as the Catalan side lifted club football's biggest prize for the fourth time.

Wayne Rooney fired a superb first-half equaliser for United, cancelling out Pedro's opener, but the Premier League champions were eventually blown away by superior opponents.

Edwin van der Sar's final game before retirement ended in disappointment, with the Dutchman at fault for letting Messi's low strike scuttle past him early in the second half.

And Sir Alex Ferguson was unable to slow the Spanish team's super-slick passing, suffering a second final defeat to them within three years.

This repeat of the 2009 final, which Barca won 2-0, produced a similarly one-sided outcome and cemented Pep Guardiola's team's place among the great club sides.

Messi took his goal tally to 100 in the last two seasons, and produced yet another demonstration of skill, strength and devastating finishing. Is there anyone left who doubts he is the finest footballer in the world?

Ferguson fielded the same starting XI that won 2-0 away to Schalke in the semi-final first leg, but sprung a surprise by leaving Dimitar Berbatov out of the squad altogether.

Berbatov, the Premier League's joint-top scorer, has not found the net in Europe since 2008 and Michael Owen grabbed a place among the substitutes instead.

Eric Abidal started at left-back after making a remarkable recovery from surgery on a liver tumour in March - in a wonderful touch, he was handed the captain's armband to lift the triophy.

However, the Catalans' captain Carles Puyol - struggling with injury - was consigned to the bench with the diminutive Javier Mascherano playing centre-back.

As they did two years ago, United started positively, passing with intent and closing down vigorously - and Michael Carrick won over neutrals around Europe by blasting the ball into Sergio Busquets's head, sending the Barcelona midfielder sprawling.

Then, just as in Rome, Barca took control of the game.

Xavi completed his first 40 passes before any United player had reached double figures, and the Liga champions' tiki-taka started to tell - especially in conjunction with the remarkable pressing job on the rare occasions Barca gave the ball away.

Rio Ferdinand had to slide in accurately on Villa as he prepared to pull the trigger, while his defensive partner Nemanja Vidic was equally precise when nicking the ball off the brilliant Messi.

Pedro might have opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour, and Villa fired two sighters, but there was no reprieve on 27 minutes when Xavi stabbed a majestic pass to Pedro in space on the right, and finish was low past Van der Sar.

United were on the ropes, but Rooney responded superbly. After a brilliant one-two with Michael Carrick, he raced inside from the right and exchanged passes with Ryan Giggs - who looked marginally offside - before finishing into the top-left corner.

A brilliant goal from a player sometimes accused of going missing on the big occasions - though they hardly deserved it, United were level.

Barcelona do not get fazed easily, and pressed on undeterred - they might have re-taken the lead just before the break when the sliding Messi just failed to meet a Villa centre.

Messi blasted Barca back in front on 54 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the box. Van der Sar was out of position and will be disappointed to have let through a shot that did not find the corner.

By now, United were under siege, struggling to withstand wave after wave of attacks, with Messi absolutely rampant.

The coup de grace came just over 20 minutes from time, when Messi carried the ball into the box. United seemed to have the situation under control, but when Nani miscontrolled, Villa curled a beautiful shot into the top right corner.

Barca are so good at keeping the ball, there was no way back. Rooney continued to toil, but with Giggs and Javier Hernandez particularly quiet, they never looked like making their opponents sweat.

For a Barcelona side packed with players in their early and mi-20s, immortality beckons. On this form, it could be years before anyone knocks them off their perch.

i have to admit....man utd had no answer once barcelona got going did they...

barceolane are one absolute slick side and are a joy to watch....that messi in unreal and he wasnt even at his best for the first 20 minutes...

they deserved to win that and ferguson has to just hold his hands up and say his team were totally outclassed.

barca were the best team on the night for sure, once they got going there was no chance for man u

it just shows the class between both teams. Barcelona were suberb to watch. Man Utd were never in it. They are just a joy to watch. Villas goal was world class

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:it just shows the class between both teams. Barcelona were suberb to watch. Man Utd were never in it. They are just a joy to watch. Villas goal was world class

your right mate.....cracking game to watch if you were a barca fan or a man utd hater like me lol

wolfie wrote:

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:it just shows the class between both teams. Barcelona were suberb to watch. Man Utd were never in it. They are just a joy to watch. Villas goal was world class

your right mate.....cracking game to watch if you were a barca fan or a man utd hater like me lol

haha me 2 hate them and liverpool and the dirty mackem scum with all my might,

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:

wolfie wrote:

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:it just shows the class between both teams. Barcelona were suberb to watch. Man Utd were never in it. They are just a joy to watch. Villas goal was world class

your right mate.....cracking game to watch if you were a barca fan or a man utd hater like me lol

haha me 2 hate them and liverpool and the dirty mackem scum with all my might,

theres just something about man utd that i detest....im not sure if its alex ferguson chewing his gum 24/7 or that most of his players look like spoilt whining big headed horrible kids lol...

they think all they have to do it turn up and its game over........well barca showed them what a real FOOTBALL team is.....waheyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

yeah there was a gulf in class like wasnt there . they could have won it even by a bigger margin. can see them going on and winning several more as well

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:yeah there was a gulf in class like wasnt there . they could have won it even by a bigger margin. can see them going on and winning several more as well

well their set up is hinged on bringing through class...and if you look at the nucleus of the team, its a young team.....

god knows how much better this team can get....its almost like they can decide what they win reall.

Inesta shows he is the best midfielder in the world was outstanding. and Villa and Messi wow thats all i can say. Man Utd had no answer did they>

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:Inesta shows he is the best midfielder in the world was outstanding. and Villa and Messi wow thats all i can say. Man Utd had no answer did they>

nope, man utd looked shell shocked once barcelona got into their stride after 15 minutes....
you could almost see the tension on the man u players faces after each run around lol...it was great to watch...its not often you see that with man utd....

rooney ran his heart out though and didnt give up............for a kid that actually looks unfit...hes got some engine on him and hes quality......

his main problem though is....he does far too much tracking back, which makes his game less effective.....mind im not complaining thought hahahaha...

wolfie wrote:

paulwynuk42NUFC wrote:Inesta shows he is the best midfielder in the world was outstanding. and Villa and Messi wow thats all i can say. Man Utd had no answer did they>

nope, man utd looked shell shocked once barcelona got into their stride after 15 minutes....
you could almost see the tension on the man u players faces after each run around lol...it was great to watch...its not often you see that with man utd....

rooney ran his heart out though and didnt give up............for a kid that actually looks unfit...hes got some engine on him and hes quality......

his main problem though is....he does far too much tracking back, which makes his game less effective.....mind im not complaining thought hahahaha...

hahahaha me neither lol . but it was a joy to watch