Sir Alex Ferguson’s “dream final” in Wednesday’s Champions
League showdown could be a nightmare for Barcelona if Manchester
United smother the Spaniards and seal victory on the
counter-attack.
It is hardly the scenario the neutrals are hoping for but
Ferguson knows the best chance of United becoming the first team to
retain the title in the Champions League era is to frustrate his
free-scoring opponents at every turn.
They did it a year ago, shutting out Barcelona twice in a 1-0
aggregate semi-final victory, and would have taken heart from the
way Chelsea kept them at bay for more than 120 minutes in the semis
before Andres Iniesta’s stoppage-time strike.
Ferguson admires Barcelona’s approach and has shown his own
commitment to exciting football by regularly starting with
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov as an
attacking trio.
However, the vastly experienced Scot knows that great teams are
built from the back and the key to unlocking your own weapons is to
neutralise the opponents.
“They get you on that carousel and can leave you dizzy,” he said
of Barcelona’s mesmerising passing game.
“Your concentration levels can’t be allowed to falter for a
second. But, with the right tactics, their game is
containable.”
United’s defence has been magnificent this season and, assuming
Rio Ferdinand is fit to line up in the middle alongside Nemanja
Vidic, it should be at full strength.
It is United’s hard-working midfield, though, which has helped
limit the rest of the Premier League to just 24 goals against
them.
In the Champions League they let in only three in the group
stage and four in six knockout games against Inter Milan, Porto and
Arsenal.
The non-stop running of Park Ji-sung and the game-reading of
Michael Carrick provide a first line of defence that would make any
back four look good.
“The way Barcelona play, they can have the ball for a long time
and you’ve just got to be patient, defend well and concentrate.
It’s quite a bit of a mental battle,” said Carrick.
“Against Barcelona you shut up, as Chelsea showed, and then
attack them at the right time.”
United have perfected the art of sucking teams in then striking
on the break, a tactic shown at its best when Ronaldo started and
finished, after a lung-bursting 60 metre sprint, their marvellous
third goal in the semi-final win at Arsenal.
That is exactly the sort of thing Ferguson will be looking for
on Wednesday, particularly as Barcelona look vulnerable at the back
after the suspension of Eric Abidal and Dani Alves and the injury
that has ruled out Rafael Marquez.
Manager Pep Guardiola, who rested almost all his first team for
Saturday’s 1-0 league defeat by Osasuna, is also sweating on the
fitness of Iniesta and Thierry Henry.
Like United, Barcelona have sown up their league title with time
to spare and both have also claimed a domestic cup.
But also like United, who suffer in comparison with Liverpool’s
European exploits, the Spaniards desperately crave the European Cup
that they have won just twice in comparison with Real Madrid’s
nine.
They will go about that task with patience in Rome, backing
their approach and looking for the relentless probing of Iniesta
and Xavi to eventually prize an opening that Henry, Messi or Samuel
Eto’o will be able to seize upon.
Eto’o, who did play on Saturday in a bid to find his 30th league
goal of the campaign, summed up the team’s approach.
“We’ve scored 150 goals this season,” he said. “For a striker
there is no better place to be than this Barcelona.”