UEFA CL FINAL - Barcelona vs Manchester United - May 27
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wah lau what UEFA always appoint swiss, norwegian, danish and icelandic referees one? why wasnt referees from Italy, french or German or portugese appointed?
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help needed here! Does any kind soul know of any free online live streaming webby for the match? Me no cable ah, you see...
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Originally posted by busmanic:
help needed here! Does any kind soul know of any free online live streaming webby for the match? Me no cable ah, you see...
Go to the EPL forum, they got a list of sites.
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Martin Samuel: United victory in Rome would eclipse Liverpool's Seventies glory
Quest for glory: United board their plane to Rome for the Champions League final
Manchester United arrived in Rome on Monday. That, in itself, is an achievement. Not making the journey, but getting here, to this point, to this match. They will not be satisfied with anything less than victory, of course, but merely by appearing in consecutive Champions League finals they will have bucked a trend. The hard part, it could be argued, has been done.
Since the European Cup became the Champions League and incorporated group places and additional teams from the major countries, no team have retained the title and only Juventus and Valencia have been in back-to-back finals.
Before Manchester United, the previous four winners of the Champions League — Porto, Liverpool, Barcelona and AC Milan — were eliminated in the first knock-out round of 16 the following season.
In this campaign, Manchester United played Inter Milan, the champions of Italy, at that stage and won comfortably.
It was a sign. Here was a different animal, a club with a squad so strong they could resist fatigue, and a manager so driven he would not allow his players to stand still
Make no mistake, if Manchester United beat Barcelona tomorrow, it will be the most significant victory by an English club in European competition.
There are two English teams who have retained their title as champions of Europe: Liverpool in 1977 and 1978 and Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980.
These were fabulous achievements, too; but they do not compare to Manchester United keeping the prize in the 21st century.
Liverpool played 16 games to win their back-to-back crowns, Nottingham Forest played 18.
Manchester United are on a run of 25 games, and will need to make it 26 against a Barcelona team who have laid waste to the record books in Spain.
It is often stated that there are no easy games in football, but there are, and there were, and a number of them occurred in the early rounds of the old European Cup.
Not any more.
English clubs may have made it look simple in recent seasons, but the calibre of opposition is tougher than at any time before.
The random factor, the soft draw, has all but been eliminated.
To reach this stage, across two seasons, Manchester United have played Sporting Lisbon, Roma, Dynamo Kiev, Lyon, Roma, Barcelona, Chelsea, Villarreal, AaB Aalborg, Celtic, Inter Milan, Porto, Arsenal and, now, Barcelona.
Winning in 1977 and 1978, Liverpool faced Crusaders, Trabzonspor, St Etienne, FC Zurich, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Dynamo Dresden, Benfica, Borussia Moenchengladbach and FC Brugge.
Nottingham Forest played Liverpool, AEK Athens, Grasshopper, Cologne, Malmo, Osters IF Vaxjo, Arges Pitesti, Dynamo Berlin, Ajax and Hamburg.
For at least two of those teams, answers on a postcard, please.
Those who said Sweden and Romania, go to the top of the class.
This is not to decry the successes of previous generations.
A team can only win a tournament in the format that is available; who is to say that the great Liverpool team would not have emerged triumphant across 26 games in two seasons, too?
Yet even those involved in the old competition acknowledge that the modern Champions League presents a more stringent examination of a team than did the European Cup.
Mark Lawrenson also travelled to Rome on Monday, scene of his victory as a player with Liverpool in 1984.
He said that while the old European Cup could throw up a rogue draw against serious opposition early in the competition — the biggest clubs are now protected by the seeding system — the sheer volume of strong, wealthy opponents in the Champions League now makes it a different proposition.
‘When we beat Roma, we knew Falcao, their Brazilian player, and maybe one other, but that was about it,’ Lawrenson recalled.
‘As for the rest of them, we didn’t have a clue. 'Now, you know everything about the opposition, and they know everything about you. 'That professionalism has gone up a level, which makes it harder.’
United touchdown in Rome ahead of Wednesday's clash against Barcelona
Those who espouse the difficulty of the old format, with the presence of instant knockout rounds from the start, often make the argument that a modern Champions League team can afford to lose the odd game, while the European Cup competitor could not.
History does not bear this out, either. Manchester United have not lost a single match across these two years, winning 15 and drawing 10 of 25.
Compare that to Liverpool, who lost four of their 16, or Nottingham Forest, who lost two in 18, and drew four.
Any game played across two legs carries the potential for defeat and then retrieval and Liverpool exercised it in the unlikeliest places, not least Trabzonspor in Turkey, where they lost 1-0.
It is a myth that just one slip spelt disaster in the old European Cup.
Liverpool lost twice on the way to the final in 1978, and played only seven matches.
That year, they received a bye in the first round, meaning that a solitary win against Dynamo Dresden of East Germany at Anfield — they lost the away leg 2-1 — was enough to put the team in the quarter-finals.
The Kop may join Michel Platini, the UEFA president, in romanticising the old days, but in victory, the case for United as the greatest of all champions would be a compelling one.
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HENRY AND INIESTA BACK IN TRAINING
Barcelona duo Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta continued their respective bids to be fit for the Champions League final as they returned to squad training today, albeit not at the same level as their team-mates.
Also included in the travelling party are young defenders Alberto Botia and Marc Muniesa, the 17-year-old who was sent off on his Barca debut in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Osasuna.
Those two will help provide cover for a Barca defence that has lost full-backs Dani Alves and Eric Abidal to suspension, and centre-backs Rafael Marquez and Gabriel Milito to injury.
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Pique - Rooney 'unstoppable'
"When he is focused he is simply unstoppable," explained Pique.
"I have never seen a player as powerful as Rooney - the way he goes past people, the intensity of his play, the runs he makes from the first minute to last and the shot that he has. World class.
"Perhaps he does not get the credit he deserves because he should score more goals, but he offers so much."
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Berbatov reluctant to take penalty
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is already having doubts about taking a penalty in the Champions League final.
Berbatov was on the end of some harsh criticism for a tame spot-kick against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final defeat and the Bulgarian has admitted the incident has shaken his confidence ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Barcelona.
He said: "That hurt. I'm not sure I'd step up now."
Berbatov also claimed only victory in Rome would make him feel like an equal in the United dressing room.
"I am part of this team but I don't feel fully part of it as I didn't win the Champions League (last season)," he added.
"If we can do that again this year, with me in the team, it will mean so much. I was jealous watching last year."
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Rio Ferdinand says he is fit and ready to face Barcelona having fully recovered from a calf injury.
The defender has not played since the Reds' Champions League semi-final second leg at Arsenal after picking up the knock.
At United's pre-match press conference, Ferdinand confirmed he had trained with the team for the last two days and will be available for Wednesday.
"My injury is fine and I feel good," he told reporters. "I've trained for the last couple of days and am ready for tomorrow." -
I want the score to be 2-1 to United.
Ronaldo scores first to draw first blood.
Messi answers.
Tevez pops up with the late winner to confirm his importance to United. Lol.
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Any betting tips? Can't seem to come up with a conclusion for myself.
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Originally posted by sand king:
Any betting tips? Can't seem to come up with a conclusion for myself.
0-0 FT draw.
I see penalty kicks.
Somebody will make a booboo out of his kick and lose the title.
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Man U seems like the likely winner at full time.... but then.. the ball is round.
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Originally posted by jgho83:
I want the score to be 2-1 to United.
Ronaldo scores first to draw first blood.
Messi answers.
Tevez pops up with the late winner to confirm his importance to United. Lol.
Tevez has already given everything to MAN U including his backside to Sir Alex....Give him a break will ya? -
Originally posted by sand king:
Any betting tips? Can't seem to come up with a conclusion for myself.
My advice to hardcore gamblers who are die-hard MAN U fansSecretly ,put your money on Barcelona and pretend to be really really really disappointed after the match.
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My advice to barca fans. Put your money on manutd and pretend to be really really disappointed after that match.
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Man Utd will win this.
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In case you didnt get what I actually meant.I am a hard core gambler and a die hard MAN U fan and just like a MAN U player money does matter>LOL
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support man utd la!!
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Originally posted by HyuugaNeji:
My advice to barca fans.
Put your money on manutd and pretend to be really really disappointed after that match.
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Tons of pics here.
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2-0 victory to Manchester United
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i rooting on Barca!
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Man Utd training before Barca game EXCLUSIVE
Hargreaves is there too.
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Originally posted by citymax:
i rooting on Barca!
:)
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Originally posted by iceFatboy:
:)
:)