UEFA Champions League Final Preview – Manchester United versus Barcelona: Rooney versus Messi (Part 3)
After shedding light on the history of both Manchester United and Barcelona in the past two preview series parts with regard to the UEFA Champions League, it is now time to elaborate on their respective paths to the pen-ultimate
match of the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League...
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604’s path to the final
After losing out to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Inter-c39567 Milan in the 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League, Pep Guardiola started their 2010 European campaign in a strong fashion by ending the group staged at the top of their group. Barcelona were drawn in a group
which included the likes of F.C Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos. Barcelona won four and drawn two of their six group stage matches as they scored fourteen and conceded only three goals throughout the group stages.
When the round of sixteen draw was made, Pep Guardiola’s team were pitted against Arsene Wenger’s http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 in a rematch of the 2006 UEFA Champions League final. After losing the first leg at the Emirates stadium away in London by
two goals to one, Barcelona exhibited their home strength as they won the second leg of the round of sixteen against Arsenal by three goals to one.
In the quarterfinals, Barcelona faced relatively easier opposition in shape of Shaktar Donetsk. Donetsk were defeated by an aggregate score line of 6-1 as Barcelona progressed onto the semi-finals in order to face http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-c30728 Madrid.
Against their arch rivals, Barcelona cemented their place in the tie by winning away at Santiago Bernbeau stadium before drawing one all at the Nou Camp to seal a place in the final with a 3-1 aggregate win over Los Blancos. Now in the final, the Catalan giants
will meet Manchester United.
Manchester United’s path to the final
Manchester United started off their UEFA Champions League campaign as clear cut underdogs at the start. Experts and pundits alike ruled out their chances of winning the Champions League because of the lack of quality in their squad.
Nonetheless, the Red Devils did well in their group as they ended up as group leaders after the conclusion of the group stage.
In a group which included http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Bursaspor-c38700, Manchester United won four and drew two matches scoring seven goals and conceding only one. In the knockout stages, Manchester United were drawn against Olympique Marseille
in the round of sixteen. After drawing the first leg of their round of sixteen encounter against Marseille in Stade Valedrome, United scored an emphatic 2-1 win over the French giants at Old Trafford. In the quarterfinals, the Red Devils faced familiar foes
as they were pitted against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786.
Manchester United won away at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the quarterfinals before winning at Old Trafford as well. In doing so they progressed to the semi-finals and faced Schalke 04, the conquerors of Inter Milan. Schalke
were completely demolished by Sir http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-c4752 Ferguson’s men in the semis who secured a place in the final through a 6-1 aggregate win over the German club.
In the last part of this preview series, we shall take a look at the formations that both the clubs might use in order to gain an advantage at Wembley stadium; attention will also be paid to the team news in both the camps ahead
of their meeting in London on 28th May, 2011...
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