FC Barcelona (Barça or Blaugrana) | Special Thread

Forward Lionel Messi hailed an "incredible"
performance by FC Barcelona after Josep
Guardiola's men lit up Wembley en route to
claiming their fourth European crown with
victory over Manchester United FC.
For Barcelona it was their third UEFA
Champions League in six seasons and it
came, fittingly, at the venue where they first
scaled continental football's greatest peak
in 1992. Messi produced a man-of-the-
match display and, as he had done in Rome
two years ago, scored his team's decisive
second goal nine minutes after the break,
restoring the Azulgrana's lead with a long-
range strike after Wayne Rooney had
cancelled out Pedro Rodríguez's opener.
David Villa added a brilliant third to stamp
Barcelona's superiority on a match where
they had 12 attempts on target to their
rivals' one, and confirm a repeat of their
2009 success against the English
champions. Messi said: "We're very happy
to lift another trophy. It was a difficult
season but we showed who we are. We
were the better team. To be the man of the
match is the least important thing, because
it was incredible how we played. We were
very good in all areas."
While the Argentinian international praised
his team-mates, Xavi Hernández underlined
the key role played by the mesmeric Messi,
whose goal was his 12th in this season's
competition– equalling Ruud van
Nistelrooy's scoring record in the UEFA
Champions League era. "He is the number
one, he makes the difference– he is just the
best player in the world."
A touching postscript to Barcelona's
triumph was the sight of Éric Abidal lifting
the trophy, the French international, who
underwent surgery to remove a liver
tumour in March, having been a surprise
starter at left-back because of Carles Puyol's
fitness problems. Daniel Alves, who like
Abidal had missed out on the 2009 final,
said his team-mate's involvement was extra
cause for celebration.
"Even before all of this we said our biggest
victory, our most important trophy, was the
recovery of Abi." The Brazil right-back
added: "We put on a spectacle for everyone
who is passionate about football and who
loves football. And I think that people who
really like football will be very happy today
because they have seen a great match."
Midfielder Sergio Busquets concurred,
describing it as an "almost perfect game" by
Barça. "We suffered a bit at the beginning,
and at the end, but by then the match was
already decided. I think it was an almost
perfect game– we had lots of possession
and moved the ball very well. Thanks to that
we managed to win." Nobody at Wembley,
nor among the estimated 300m worldwide
TV audience, would disagree.
 
Ile 70% kwa 30 zao ni balaaa sana hawa jamaaa Mercy is unique!!
 
asanteni barc maana kama mngefungwa jana miki yetu ingikuwa ni fujo tupu na huko makazini, vijiweni nk..Barcerona habari nyingine kuna mchezajia alipigwa chenga akashituka nyonga akatoka nje akaegemeagoli kwa unyonge, barc kweli hawana adabu tatu tena wako kwao..leo mji kimya
 
hahaaaa yaani messi anapiga chenga mpaka kuna beki wa man u akateguka nyonga...kile ki chicharito sijui yaani kulikuwa kinaruka ruka tu kama kiuza koni....mwee asanteni barca maana mama gaude kimya na nyumba ina amani sasa....... anajipaka jiviii tu kwenye kidonda
 
goli la tatu niliona kipa wa man u anataka kulia kabisa..ananikumbusha kipa wa arsenal alipigwa goli akaamua kukaa chini nyuma ya nyavu akawa anakunywa maji kupunguza joto
 

Not the sort of farewell match that Van der Sar might have hoped for. He was a bit slow reacting to two of Barcelona's goals so maybe his decision to retire is the right one
 
Man UTD wanahitaji Modric wa Spurs na Sneider wa Inter kama kweli wanataka kuitungua Barca......................wachezaji wa kati hawana vipaji vya kumiliki mpira hata kukaba.......................
 
Huu ndio ukweli kuwa kati ya Barca na Manure, there's this massive gap!!
Nilijichekea moyoni watu walivyo-predict victory in favour of Manure.......

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Fergie gameplan torn up by brilliant Barca

Sir Alex Ferguson made great play of the fact that Manchester United had studied all the videos, done all the training sessions and had a gameplan to beat Barcelona.

The harsh reality is his squad could have practised until Christmas and still not have come anywhere close to matching this Barcelona team for all ages. Everyone was waiting to see how United would beat off the great team sent out by Pepe Guardiola.

Would it be by pressing, harrying and knocking the Catalans out of their stride? Or would it be by to defend deep, stay disciplined and try to hit them on the break? In the end, Fergie’s men did neither.

‘United started strongly and finished strongly but in the middle it was a procession for Barcelona,’ said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who scored the Wembley winner in the 1978 European Cup final. Former England boss Steve McClaren believes United’s downfall was caused by their inability to
track Barca’s bewildering runs.
Vision express: The United defence backs off as Xavi sets up Pedro's first goal
BARCA’S KILLER MOVEMENT
Dalglish believes it is easy to try and think of ways to stop the Barcelona players, but almost impossible to achieve because of the rapid interchanging of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and the front three.

‘United started exactly how they would have wanted to,’ said Dalglish. ‘They pushed Barcelona up high, kept up a high tempo and didn’t let them settle at the back. But once Pedro, Leo Messi and David Villa made their first runs in behind the defence, United got stretched.

‘Then, Barcelona started to dominate possession and that is when it becomes really hard to chase them. It is not easy to press, press, press when the other team has the ball. Otherwise everyone would do it!

‘When Barca are so strong, you need to be incredibly disciplined to stop them. You virtually have to handcuff yourselves to them. But there should be no embarrassment for United’s team, I don’t think if Darren Fletcher had been fully fit and played for 90 minutes, the outcome would have been any different.’

McClaren agrees with that reasoning of why United were outplayed.

‘The defending was all last-ditch,’ he said. ‘Too often United were not in shape and looking around at each other. Michael Carrick looked bewildered at times, and there were waves of Barcelona players coming at him.’
Unfavourable odds: Pedro gives five United the players the slip
THE MESSI FACTOR
The World Player of the Year hardly touched the ball in the opening minutes when United were at their best. But just like the 2009 Champions League final, he recovered quickly and set Barcelona on their way to complete dominance.

‘Messi worked it out, dropped into midfield and United were killed in there as a result,’ said McClaren.

‘United were outnumbered in midfield just as they were two years ago and they didn’t deal with it.’

Once Messi had picked up the ball deep and was able to run at United’s defenders, the result was carnage. One dribble past four defenders had the Wembley fans on their seats and only a shove by Carrick that went unpunished prevented him from finishing the chance off. If three United players went to him, he was able to pick out a team-mate with peripheral vision.

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, at Wembley commentating for radio, said: ‘He is a magician, he gets out of every cul de sac.’

Only outstanding last-gasp tackles from Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand denied Messi a goal in the first half. But it was no surprise when just past the hour, he dropped his shoulder to go past Patrice Evra and shot past Edwin van der Sar.
Evading capture: The quicksilver Lionel Messi proved typically elusive
McClaren suggests that the only thing United could have done to counteract Messi was to detail one of their centre-halves, Ferdinand or Vidic, to effectively man-mark him by following him back into midfield.

‘In Holland, you might push a centre-half up if you are getting dominated in midfield. It is something English teams are not used to tactically, they are more used to a zonal back four.’

Dalglish admits Messi’s role in Barcelona’s front three led to fatal problems for United.

‘Ferdinand and Vidic were outstanding but sometimes they didn’t have anyone to mark because Messi is not an orthodox centre-forward, he moves about all over the place.

And if you move up to mark him, one of the others, Pedro or David Villa, will drop into the space.’
Former England manager Graham Taylor thought United did not get stuck into Messi often enough, although there were some meaty tackles on him from Antonio Valencia.

‘You cannot give that type of player that type of space,’ said Taylor. ‘You have to recognise how good Barcelona are, their ability to play in such tight situations. If you don’t do that, you’re opening yourself up.’

United never got to grips with Messi. Giggs looked his 37 years and with Carrick also lacking mobility, it was a puzzle that one of them was not replaced by the more energetic Anderson.
Ageing process: Ryan Giggs looked all of his 37 years
UNITED LACK COMPOSURE
‘When you are without the ball for long periods, the temptation when you get it is to feel under pressure and you give it back again too quickly,’ said Dalglish.

McClaren felt United were not positive enough. ‘To win the game, United had to outscore Barcelona. Barca are great going forward but they were vulnerable at the back.’

HOW XAVI GAVE CARRICK A MIDFIELD MASTERCLASS
 
Hiyo inaitwa kata mate..watu wa man leo kama wana msiba..na ni msiba kwa kwel kwao..wanasema sana,wakome
 
Aminia mchambuzi! Your analysis has come to pass!! Big up.
 
Aisee uliyoyaandika yametimia duh..
 
Mkuu sana NewDawnTz tulipanga ahadi ya kutafutana baada ya fainali...salamu zako...kura yangu ilikua ya kwanza ukanisema sana...yako wapi sasa!
 
kwa wanaojua mpira tokea Man U walishafungwa hata kabla hawajaingiza timu uwanjani....nilifurahi sana usiku huu...Barcelona wamenipa sababu ya kutabasamu! Ni funzo kwa timu za Uingereza kuacha fitna na mpira wa kwenye media na kujipanga upya wapenzi tupate raha...
 
Walau kelele zitapungua mjini khaaa? Ila ushauri wangu tangu baada ya mechi ile ni kuwa BARCELONA WAFUNGIWE KUSHIRIKI MASHINDANO sababu mpira wanocheza sio wa duia hii.
 
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