UEFA CL FINAL - Barcelona vs Manchester United - May 27

X-men SG

Barca looks tame when against Chelsea. I sure hope Barca can give Man U a good run for their money and not play badly, end up being called babies by Man U player.

omgukilledkenny SG

Park Ji-Sung has admitted that he is still wary of his involvement in the UEFA Champions League final against Barcelona despite assurances from manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 28-year-old's cautious approach is understandable after he was sensationally left out of the squad for the penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea in Moscow last year by manager Sir Alex Ferguson; a decision made even stranger after the winger had started both legs in the quarter and semi-finals.

But after scoring the opener in the second-leg at Emirates Stadium in this year's semi-final, Ferguson has all but guaranteed Park's place in the starting XI in Rome in two weeks' time.

Despite his manager hinting that the former PSV ace will not suffer a similar fate against Barcelona, Park admits that he isn't taking anything for granted.

"If I play in Rome it would be great because I didn't play last season. But you don't know. There are two weeks left yet," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"I must show on the pitch in that time that I deserve to be in the final. I have to keep my form up and show my ability on the pitch.

"I have heard and read in the media that the manager has said I should be okay for the Champions League final. He has told the press but he hasn't said anything to me.

"So I just will have to do my best in the meantime. I am not going to get excited yet.

"It was hard to take not being in the Moscow team. But all the players want to be in the big games. We all want to be in the Champions League final.

"But so many players have never even reached that stage of the tournament. Some great players have not even had the chance of getting there. But at least I had a chance."

Despite the pain he suffered in Moscow the South Korean always believed that he would get another shot at playing in the final, especially at a club like United.

"It was a big heartbreak but I believed I would get back again with Manchester United. I felt certain it would happen again soon so I comforted myself with that," he added.

"I am certainly at the right club to believe I could get back again.

"No European Cup winner has ever retained the Champions League and not many winners have actually got back to the final but I never lost faith that United could do it and I might have a chance again.

"I have never lost the belief that I would play in a Champions League final. I knew we could get there. Now we are back and I just hope it is different for me this time.

"But I won't believe anything until the night. Up until then I will still be proving myself on the pitch."

skythewood SG

Barcelona beat Athletic to lift 25th Copa del Rey

Three goals in a devastating nine-minute spell at the start of the second half saw Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday and the first of three possible titles.

Yaya Toure levelled for Barca in the first half before Lionel Messi, Bojan Krkic and Xavi struck after the break to give the club their 25th Copa del Rey.

The Catalans could wrap up the Primera Liga title this weekend and they face Manchester United in the Champions League final on May 27.

"Now we are reaping the rewards of all the hard work we have put in during the season," Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets told Spanish state television as the team celebrated on the pitch.

"I hope this weekend we can secure our second title."

Barca had an unfamiliar look in defence with reserve keeper Jose Manuel Pinto in goal and Yaya Toure at centre back again, and they were quickly exposed at a set piece.

Pinto had tipped a Javi Martinez shot round the post and Fran Yeste made it count. His whipped-in corner after nine minutes found Gaizka Toquero rising above two defenders to head in at the back post.

Athletic looked fresher, snapping at Barca all over the pitch, until Toure stepped up to level in spectacular fashion as he advanced out of defence.

The Ivory Coast midfielder went past three Bilbao players in the 31st minute, and from outside the area drilled a low shot inside the near post.

Gradually Barca asserted themselves and as they swarmed round the Bilbao area in the 55th minute it was Messi who struck, firing through a crowd of legs after Gorka Iraizoz could only parry Samuel Eto'o's shot.

Three minutes later, Bojan raced through on a break to score off the far post and with Bilbao reeling Xavi curled a superb freekick over the wall and in off the near post in the 64th.

Just before Xavi's goal the match was held up briefly after Barcelona defender Daniel Alves was hit on the head by a tin can thrown from the stands.

Alves was able to continue and television pictures showed police leading a fan away.

Athletic were a broken team after that, but earn a place in next season's Europa League with Barca's place in the Champions League assured for next year.

Barcelona has treble on their mind...

omgukilledkenny SG

Thierry Henry has insisted he is doing everything in his power to be involved in the Champions League final with Manchester United.

Henry opted against celebrating his team’s Copa del Rey victory on Wednesday in order to recover on time for the Rome final at Stadio Olimpico.

The Champions League is the only major title that the legendary striker is yet to claim.

The France international’s trophy room is full, as he has already won the World Cup, the European championship, the Confederation Cup, the Golden Boot, as well as the English and French league, the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

“The team are in an incredible form at the moment, it is impressive,” Henry told sport.es.

“If I am not celebrating it is because I want to be ready for Rome.”

HyuugaNeji SG

Chelsea lost because they believed an old man like ballack can actually defend.

marcteng SG

Barcelona has 3 defenders out. Alves and left back are suspended, and Marquez is injured. I feel that Man Utd should attack and Barcelona sure collapse. which team wont, if 3 of their defenders are out, especially when you have Ronaldo, Rooney or Berbatov or Tevez in attack.

Imagine Man Utd 3 of its first team defenders are out, I wonder how are they going to cope?

so based on this, I would rate Man Utd as favourites for the title.

iceFatboy SG

if MU plays like vs Gunners, MU will lose..

It is a different gunners, and it should warn MU that with a technical team, they can't lose the ball so much... luckily, gunners did not manage to find the net. but it seems "babies" want to get back @ Evra.

iceFatboy SG

and all Liverpool fans will turn from Wigan, to Gunners and now barca fans...

Poolman SG

ironically , Arsenal and Barcelona played almost the same style .

Penalty la ..... all the way for 120 minutes .

Then see who lucky !!!

omgukilledkenny SG

Lionel Messi has stoked the fires ahead of the Champions League final with his assertion that Barcelona’s football is better than Manchester United’s.

Both Barca and United this weekend secured their respective domestic titles and now must turn their attentions to Rome on May 27 where they will look to be crowned the best in Europe.

Real Madrid’s Saturday night slip-up meant that Barca wrapped up the Spanish league title without playing and allowed Josep Guardiola to rest Messi and four other first-teamers for Sunday’s trip to Mallorca.

Sir Alex Ferguson is sure to follow a similar script when his side visit Hull on the last day of the domestic season as they prepare their attempts to become the first team in Champions League history to defend the trophy.

Ferguson has been receiving plaudits left, right and centre for the manner in which his full-to-the-brim squad has gone about yet another dominant season but Messi feels that it is Barca who strut their stuff more impressively.

"We are going to give everything to win the Champions League," said the Argentinian, "Manchester United have a great team with some great players but I think we just have that little bit more football.

"We have to take advantage of this moment because we don't know if it will ever present itself again. We have the chance to pass into the history books of a club as great as Barcelona and we are going to do just that."

Dead_Man_Inc SG

Barcelona’s medical staff have announced that Thierry Henry could be fit for the Champions League final with Manchester United.

The French striker remains a doubt for the Rome final that is due to be played on May 27 in the Eternal City after damaging his knee ligament during the Classico with Real Madrid.

But the Arsenal legend is recovering quickly and could feature in the glamorous European clash according to club medics.

Henry can run again and is expected to return to full training by the end of the week, it has been claimed.

The forward’s return would be a huge boost for the Blaugranas, as he has been in a top-class form this season, bagging 19 league goals so far.

“His knee is stable again,” a member of the Barcelona medical staff told L’Equipe.

“There is still a risk of aggravating the damage."

“But this risk will not be the same in a 10 days’ time.”

gigabyte14 SG

maybe henry is like another ballack

getting henry'ed

SBS n SMRT SG

saw the barca game vs Villarreal, their defence is quite suspect. so I hope MU can exploit that.. and now we got this news -> Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta looks set to miss the Champions League final after picking up a thigh injury.

hmm, hope SAF will be ruthless and tighten the screws and not relax.

wat SAF.....SAFFC ah.....lost 3-1, but quite good show

iceFatboy SG

wat SAF.....SAFFC ah.....lost 3-1, but quite good show

I think U are smart enough to know SAF is Sir Alex Ferguson & given we are in MU's forum and not in S-league. but I may be wrong.

Dead_Man_Inc SG

Both Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta will board the flight to Rome for Barcelona’s Champions League final against Manchester United.

Josep Guardiola already has a bevy of defensive absentees to deal with and had previously looked likely to be without the attacking gusto of two other certain starters.

Full backs Eric Abidal and Daniel Alves are both unavailable and fears had since been raised that they would be joined on the bench by Henry, who suffered knee ligament damage in early May, and Iniesta, who tore a thigh muscle eight days later.

However, Henry is ‘optimistic’ after coming through recent training and Iniesta maintains that he ‘will be in Rome’, sentiments that have now been echoed by a member of Barca’s medical department.

“The coach will have them both at his disposal for the final,” he told El Pais.

“It is more difficult for Henry to get up to match fitness because of the type of player that he is and the type of injury.

“But they will both be fit for the game....only just.”

zocoss SG

The Red Devils have the chance to become the first team since the competition's inception in 1992 to win successive titles when they face Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico next week.

Macheda must first secure a place on the bench for the game and could get a chance to stake his claim against Hull on Sunday, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson almost certain to rest his star names ahead of the final.

The 17-year-old has already made a name for himself at Old Trafford this term after scoring two decisive goals in his first two appearances for the club, against Aston Villa and Sunderland respectively.

Plucked from the Lazio youth team in September 2007, the Italian has made no secret of his love for his home city as he looks to cap off what has already been a memorable season.

"It's a dream I've had many times in the last few days. Me with the champions in my own stadium, he told Corriere dello Sport.

"I hope it happens but I don't even know if I will be on the bench. Manchester have many great players and there is a big competition for places. It would be fantastic playing for just a few minutes."

Despite scaling heights that seemed unimaginable at the start of the campaign, the striker insists his feet are firmly planted on the ground.

"Here people think I am a hero but I have only scored two goals in the Premier League. I have done nothing and I must show my value.

"The most beautiful things arrive now and it is necessary to keep my head on my shoulders and continue playing football."

marcteng SG

I certainly hope I am right, that Man Utd will attack Barcelona back 4, as three of their defenders are either suspended or injured, but also need to defend well as Barcelona likes to play possession and passing game, like Arsenal.

I think Henry will start on the bench, as he is not 100% match fit. Iniesta may start the game though. Barcelona may play 4-5-1, with Etoo as the lone striker, supported by Messi in the free role, plus 4 midfielders. Yaya Toure to protect the back 4 as midfield anchorman.

That said, Man Utd will pay heed to practise pk and also rehearsing in the players mind if that happen. should look at how barcelona players take their pk. It may pan out to a pk after 120 mins, like last season.

zocoss SG

The 22-year-old has since proved what Ferguson knew all along when he tempted the player away from the Catalans as a youngster, before he could sign a professional contract.

Pique has outshone his more illustrious and experienced captain Carles Puyol and kept veteran Mexico defender Rafael Marquez out of the side.

Despite his relative youth he has been the rock at the heart of Barcelona's defence and that has come as no surprise to Ferguson.

"I have always liked the boy. I did expect him to reach this level so quickly," he said. "He has fantastic qualities but most importantly, he has a good self-determination about him. He is a winner and a good professional.

"I always thought he would do well. We were disappointed to lose him but we understood at the time that his family desire was to go back to Barcelona.

"He looked at Ferdinand and Vidic and wanted to be in the first team immediately. "I can understand why he wanted to go back to Barcelona. We wished him well at the time but we don't wish him well on Wednesday."

Ironically, had Pique stayed there would have been a chance he could have been lining up for United against Barcelona in Rome as Ferguson has a fitness doubt over Ferdinand, who has missed the last three matches with a calf injury.

Instead it is another youngster Jonny Evans who is on standby, having partnered Vidic in Ferdinand's absence.

Ferguson drew comparisons between the development of Pique and the 21-year-old Evans, saying their progress was very much down to United's youth system.

"The kid (Evans) has had a fantastic season," said the Scot. "Jonny and Gerard both came through together. It is a credit to our academy they both could be playing in the final - I am sure Gerard will be, and it will be a nice touch."

omgukilledkenny SG

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that John O'Shea will start next week’s Champions League final for Manchester United.

"John takes his place in Rome because he deserves it," said Ferguson. "Because of the injuries to Gary Neville and Wes Brown, he has become a permanent fixture. He is ahead of everyone now."

HyuugaNeji SG

I think manutd has the edge over barcelona.

« Previous Page Next Page »