Barcelona have dismissed Manchester United to win their second champions league title in four years. It completes an unprecedented treble for the Catalan giants and perhaps most romantically the team with so many match winners is flawed.
Controlling most of the game, Barcelona didn’t mask their defensive frailties…they just didn’t care. Victor Valdes made absurd short passes to his defense when long was the only option, Carlos Puyol was regularly seen galloping down the pitch and Yaya Toure was almost flippant about the threat of Ronaldo. This was the sight of a skilled boxer holding their hands too low.
The defending champions came out dominating with Ronaldo peppering the goal with long range efforts. However, the sucker punch was delivered in the 10th minute when Eto’o wriggled free of defenders to poke home. United were dazed and their opponents moved in for the kill. The Premiership champions began to chase shadows, pass after pass, Barca sapped their morale.
A few bursts of acceleration from Messi had viewers in disbelief and it was in the 70th minute when the Argentine seem to hang in mid air waiting to head home a Xavi cross. Game over.
The game though was won in midfield with the Spanish duo of Xavi and Iniesta treating their opponents with disdain. The later toyed with United players, skipping and gliding past with ease and the former executed any pass, no matter how ridiculous.
The flattery should seize though as a different approach from United could have made the difference. Ronaldo should have played deeper, allowing him to see more of the ball and draw regular fouls. This in turn would have resulted in Rooney influencing the game and if Tevez had spearheaded the attack who knows what trouble this would have caused Pique and Puyol.
