Barcelona Vs Manchester United: Champions League Final Preview

Barcelona vs Manchester United

Wednesday 27 May 2009,

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Kickoff: 19:45

Barcelona

Barcelona drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their second-leg semi-final encounter to win the fixture 1-1 on away goals aggregate.

In their Champions League campaign this season, Barcelona have won six, drawn five and lost one, scoring 30 goals and conceding thirteen in these matches.

Lionel Messi is the current leading scorer for Barca in the Champions League this season, with a total of eight goals (and five assists), whilst Xavi Hernandez has contributed six assists for the side.

Barca will be missing full-backs Daniel Alves and Eric Abidal due to suspension, whilst Rafa Marquez will also miss out through injury.

Both Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta are also doubts for the final, and a last-minute decision by Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola will be made on their fitness.

Manchester United

Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 in the second leg of their semi-final encounter, to win the fixture 4-1 on aggregate.

This year's Champions League competition has seen Man Utd win six, draw six, and lose none, scoring eighteen goals and conceding six in the process.

Manchester United have three equal top-scorers in Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, with four goals each, whilst Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney lead the team assists with three each.

Man Utd will miss Darren Fletcher for the final due to suspension, with Owen Hargreaves and Ben Foster also out due to long-term injuries.

Rio Ferdinand is still a doubt for the match, after the central defender failed to recover in time to feature in United's 1-0 weekend victory over Hull, but the latest news is the 30-year-old is winning his fitness battle and is set to feature.

Prediction

Manchester United scored 69 goals this season on the way to their third successive Premier League title—a tame total compared to their 80 goals scored last season—whilst Barcelona managed an incredible 104 goals on route to their first La Liga title win since the 2005/06 season.

So, unlike the Barcelona vs Chelsea semifinal, we're set for an open and free-flowing display of attacking football between two offensively-minded teams.

For Man Utd, it will be Cristiano Ronaldo who will be looking to shine in attack, but with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Ji-Sung Park, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov all featuring in the United squad, Sir Alex Ferguson will have some of the finest attacking footballers at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Barcelona's star player in Lionel Messi will look to make his impact after a relatively subdued semi-final performance. The 21-year-old Argentinian will have Samuel Eto'o up front in support, and with Thierry Henry's fitness in question, the onus may fall on Barca's two leading goalscorers to put the ball into the back of the United net.

With both teams fielding so many talented players, it may be difficult at first to separate one from the other in order to determine a potential winner. However, a major factor which may determine the victor of this year's competition is Barcelona's shortage of experienced defenders.

With regular full-backs Alves and Abidal out due to suspension, and seasoned central defender Rafa Marquez missing through injury, Barca manager Josep Guardiola will likely have to field at least one player in a position with which he is not accustomed.

And so Manchester United will likely hold the advantage coming into this match, as they take full advantage of Barcelona's potential weakness in their backline in an attempt to record a historic second-straight Champions League title victory.

But whoever triumphs on Wednesday night in Rome, football itself is likely to be the greatest winner, as we prepare to witness this dream final between two of world football's most talented and technically gifted clubs in what promises to be an absolutely spectacular showdown.

Read the complete preview and find the BEST on-line betting odds for the final at the Barcelona vs Manchester United odds and preview page now!

And for another take on the final, check out our other Manchester United vs Barcelona preview as well at the Sports Betting Review web site.