The teams are back on the field and Barcelona are set to kick off. Barca's best chance of the second comes to Dani Alves who streaks down
the right and is played in. He takes a strong shot that Van der Sar
pushes wide. Messi latches on the rebound and tries to float in but is
deflected away. Second goal for barca come after Messi has two steps of space an thunders a shot home to Van
der Sar's near side. All too easy for the Argentine superstar. The
Dutchman had no chance at stopping that one.2-1 for Barca.
That will do it, people. Right after the substitution, Villa
gets a touch on the ball at the top of the box and curls it wonderfully
around Van der Sar into the top corner. Too good, this team is. Too
good. Barca looking very comfortable, as you do, with a 3-1 lead.The Red Devils haven't given up yet. Giggs launches a ball into
Hernandez at the corner of the box. Valdes comes and punches clear.Barca Win the champions league 2011.
The Analysis :
1:37 p.m. Today’s Lineups
The only surprise in the lineups named by the two coaches is the
absence of Carles Puyol, who has struggled with injuries. Javier
Mascherano will start alongside Gerard Pique.
Manchester United: Edwin van der Sar; Patrice Evra,
Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Fabio da Silva; Park Ji-Sung, Ryan Giggs,
Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia; Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez.
Barcelona: Victor Valdes; Javier Mascherano, Gerard
Pique, Eric Abidal, Dani Alves; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi;
Lionel Messi, Pedro, David Villa.
The referee is Viktor Kassai of Hungary. He should be quite familiar
with the Barcelona players, having worked Spain’s World Cup semifinal
against Germany last summer (as well as the U.S.-Ghana game that sent
the Americans home) and its Euro 2012 qualifier against the Czech
Republic in March.
2:12 P.M. No Berbatov Today
Those who predicted a late winner by Dimitar Berbatov won’t get it: he’s not even among Manchester United’s subs:
Kuszczak, Owen, Anderson, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Fletcher
So 20 goals in the Premier League apparently aren’t what they used to
be. Maybe Alex Ferguson just didn’t want him around; Berbatov has
already lost two finals — with Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and with United
in 2009.
Barcelona’s subs:
Oier, Puyol, Keita, Adriano, Thiago, Afellay, Bojan.
Lionel Messi and David Villa scored
second-half goals as Barcelona overpowered Manchester United, 3-1, on
Saturday to win the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in
London.
2:46 P.M. We’re Under Way
The first test is a floating cross from the left by Rooney. Valdes
handles it coolly and cleanly. Barcelona pushes right back, giving Van
der Sar his first touch of the ball, too.
8th Minute United Is Pushing Hard
A dangerous long ball leading Rooney is cut off by a charging Valdes,
who punches it away with a dive at the top of the penalty area. He came
a long way, and had to.
United looks fast, everywhere. Valencia will turn the corner on
Abidal at some point; bet on it. And Chicharito wants a goal so bad you
can see it. He’s challenging every ball he can reach, and testing the
offside trap.
If United can get a goal, they won’t have to keep up that pace. But
the one thing they most definitely do not want to do is give one up,
because chasing Barcelona is no way to go.
12th Minute Barcelona Trying to Calm Things Down
United’s pressure has had the added bonus of unsettling Barcelona
both in the midfield and at the back. Valdes kicking a nervous clearance
right out of bounds. Trouble stringing passes together.
There’s just no room for them to work. Their reaction now seems to be to get the ball wide and create some room.
19th Minute The Early Storm Is Over
Barça appears to have gotten out its jitters. The passes are flowing
now; Pedro just missed a side-footed shot from six yards; and David
Villa had a rocket of a shot from the top of the box deflected wide.
Now it’s United that is in trouble. Its offense now seems to consist
of winning the ball off a deflection and whaling it long for Hernandez
or Rooney as quickly as possible.
21st Minute Villa Again
Villa frees himself inside the top of the 18 this time, but his right-footed shot is stabbed by a diving Van der Sar.
27th Minute GOAL — Barcelona 1-0!
Xavi draws the defense to him effortlessly, slips the ball to Pedro and he slots it easily past Van der Sar.
Just like that, Barcelona’s in control and United is in deep trouble.
34th Minute GOOAALL! And Rooney Gets It Right Back!!! 1-1!!
An innocuous ball won in midfield is flicked to Rooney, who dribbles,
pings it back and forth with Giggs and then fires into the top left
corner.
1-1.
And the United fans have been awakened. United not
touching the ball much, but Rooney’s charge made the most of it. A shift
in momentum, as the Barca fans are mustering their enthusiasm again,
realizing this may not be as easy as it seemed just minutes ago.
42nd Minute Two Near Misses
Barcelona nearly scores on a free kick, and then Messi is a step slow
to a return pass in the goalmouth after another burst up the middle.
He really should have scored there, but the free kick would have been
a prettier play: Xavi rolled the ball to his right to the top of the
box, where it was redirected on a 45 to a slashing Busquets (?). But the
second pass was a bit too far in front.
Too bad; would’ve been a training film for eternity.
Halftime It’s 1-1
An uneven even first half, if you know what I mean. United came out
fast, put some pressure on and then couldn’t sustain. Barcelona took
control, got a deserved goal, and then gave it right back on a soft one
in which they allowed Rooney to dribble right in from the sideline, run a
give-and-go with Giggs and fire into the top corner.
50th Minute Danger Compounded
Iniesta springs Dani Alves in the back door on the right, but Van der
Sar blocks his low shot — right out to Messi. His shot never makes it
through.
54th Minute Messi SCORES!!! Barcelona 2-1
Three quick touches, no one closes him down and he just pushes the
ball out for a left-footed shot that curls around Van der Sar.
That’s 53 goals for him this season. Wow.
55th Minute Every Time Messi Does It, You’re Surprised
It’s never a surprise when Messi scores, but the way he can just make
something out of nothing in a few quick steps is what makes him so
fantastically good. Everyone knows what he can do, but when the defense
doesn’t react immediately — every time — he sees it as a chance.
He’s so light on his feet, so quick into space, that sometimes it’s
over before you can do anything about it. Just deadly. In many ways,
there’s no one like him.
60th Minute Yellow card for Dani Alves
He slid into Evra from the side/behind as he broke into the middle.
There have been worse tackles today, but Alves gets booked for this one.
First card of the game, which has been remarkably lacking in both fouls and overdramatic complaints about them.
61st Minute Yellow to Carrick
That’s two in two minutes. He definitely earned his, bashing down Iniesta.
63rd Minute The Stats Don’t Lie
Barcelona leads in shots (13-2) and possession time (67 percent). Yeah, I know. You’re all shocked.
67th Minute Teeing Off on Van der Sar
First Xavi, the Iniesta drill 18-yard shots at Van der Sar. It’s all Barcelona now.
Fabio just went off for a minute to stretch; he may be showing the
strain that all the United defenders must be feeling right now. Another
goal soon — and you just feel it’s coming — and you have to think this
one’ll be over.
69th Minute Villa Scores!!! Barca 3-1!
Villa scores it, but again it’s mostly Messi.
And that should seal it. Ferguson slinks back in his seat.
Crowd breakdown: About 1/3 Barca, 1/3 Man United, 1/3 seem neutral. In terms of spirit? Barca, 97 percent.
70th Minute Masters at Work
Messi, once again, takes the ball on a string, carrying it into the
box like he’s walking a dog. When he finally loses it, it pings off legs
and is pseudo-cleared right back to Barcelona. When Villa corrals it at
the top of the circle, he looks up and curls a beautiful — unsavable —
shot over the outstretched left hand of Van der Sar.
After the last 20 minutes, retirement probably never looked so good to him.
77th Minute Scholes in for Carrick
Probably could have gone in for Giggs or Park, but no one’s seen either of them for half an hour.
79th Minute Yellow Card for Valencia
Let’s be honest, it’s about time.
He shoulders down Messi at midfield as Giggs — hey, look! Ryan Giggs
is still in the game! — cries in vain for a handball in the box on a
backtracking Villa.
85th Minute Yellow Card for Valdes
For time wasting. But can you blame him for taking a few moments to savor this?
88th Minute Puyol and Keita On; Villa and Alves Off
Dani Alves follows David Villa (for Keita) off for the final moments.
Alves’s exit will allow Barcelona’s captain, Carles Puyol, to be on the
field for the final whistle.
90th Minute Afellay on for Pedro
Just waiting for the whistle, or one last bit of Messi magic.
FINAL Barcelona 3, Manchester United 1
The champions of Spain are the champions of Europe.
Ferguson greets Guardiola, who won here as a player 19 years ago,
with a smile on his face. He can have no complaints. The better team won
today.
Messi’s goal in the 54th minute — three quick touches and a
left-footed shot driven into the right corner — was his 53rd in 55 games
for Barcelona this season. About 15 minutes later he dribbled down the
right wing, teasing two defenders with his deft touches in close
quarters, to create an opportunity for Villa. Villa’s shot, from about
20 yards, curled gently over the outstretched arms of United goalkeeper
Edwin van der Sar.
The United end of the stadium sagged, while the Barcelona supporters
began a celebration that lasted long after the final whistle.
The teams had traded goals in the first half, with Pedro putting
Barcelona ahead in the 27th minute after it overcame some early jitters
and some heavy United pressure. But Wayne Rooney tied the game seven
minutes later, driving in from the right sideline, executing a quick
give-and-go with Ryan Giggs at the top of the penalty area and firing
into the top left corner.
For a moment, United seemed to have grabbed a lifeline. But Barcelona
soon regained control of the ball and the pace of the game. It
dominated possession for long stretches, as it often does, and was soon
back on the attack. When Messi and Villa scored, it had a two-goal lead
that was essentially insurmountable.
The result ended the debate about which team was the best in Europe,
and renewed the one about whether the current Barcelona squad is the
best club team ever.
The title was Barcelona’s third in six years and its fourth over all
in the competition, tying it with Ajax and Bayern Munich. Only Liverpool
(five), A.C. Milan (seven) and Real Madrid (nine) have more. It also
beat United in the 2009.
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