UEFA Champions League Final Preview – Manchester United versus Barcelona: Rooney versus Messi (Part 1)
UEFA Champions League draws to a close with its pen-ultimate encounter between Manchester United and Barcelona at the Wembley stadium in London. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men meet Pep Guardiola’s
men at England’s most famous footballing venue after making it to the final match of the UEFA Champions League. With http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736 in Manchester United’s line up and Lionel Messi leading the Barcelona strike force, it is bound to be an interesting matchup.
Thus, let’s take a look at both the teams before they take to the field on Saturday, 28th May 2011....
Manchester United’s history in the UEFA Champions League
Manchester United have had their troubles in European football but Sir http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-c4752 Ferguson has struck the right formula in over the past five years. Manchester United’s European fortunes have taken
a turn for the good under the Scottish manager ever since he realized that the European format of the game required a much more conservative approach.
After disappointing losses against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-c30728 Madrid in early 2000s and a surprise knockout at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United’s European adventures blossomed with the arrival
of Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2006-2007 season, United got to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after battering http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Roma-c31603 by seven goals to nil at Old Trafford in the quarter finals. The Red Devils’ were drawn against the mighty A.C Milan in the semis.
After winning at Old Trafford by three goals to two, Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit were schooled by the Rossoneri at San Siro in the second leg of the matchup as they lost by three
goals to nil. Milan eventually went onto win the competition after defeating http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Greece-c2908. In the 2007-2008 season, Manchester United started the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League by defeating Lyon in the round
of sixteen before facing familiar foes Roma in the quarterfinals.
Ferguson’s Reds made quick work of Roma before defeating Barcelona in the semi-finals to set up a massive UEFA Champions League final encounter against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Russia-c2991. The final
match against Avram Grant’s Chelsea went to a penalty shootout after http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097 netted a goal each in the normal time.
Eventually United secured their third European Cup triumph when John Terry’s penalty miss was accompanied by Edwin Van der Sar’s save from a http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nicolas-Anelka-c27786 spot kick. In the 2008-2009 season,
Manchester United again made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League but this time they met Barcelona in the final in Rome. In a match that was built up as tough encounter for the Catalans, United lost out in the end due to a superb http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 performance
which gifted Barcelona a two nil win on the night.
In the 2009-2010 season of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United failed to get into the semi-finals of the European Cup for the first time in three season when they lost out to Bayern
Munich in the quarterfinals on away goals rule. In http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Total-c40747 Manchester United have four European Cups thus far; their first win came in 1968 under Sir Matt Busby whereas the other two have come under Sir Alex Ferguson’s stewardship in 1999 and in 2008.
In the next part of this preview series, we will take a look at http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604’s UEFA Champions League history before elaborating upon both the teams and their path to the final....
UEFA Champions League Final Preview – Manchester United versus Barcelona: Rooney versus Messi (Part 1)
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