Plainly, Barcelona will win
‘Manchester United can beat Barcelona.’ Last week Arsene Wenger chipped in with the opinion that a United Champions League victory is possible. Pundits for channels covering the game have unsurprisingly come up with the idea that the match really is in the balance. The idea that Barcelona could lose to Manchester United is risible. There are at least four hundred reasons why Barcelona are a palpably superior side to Manchester United, but there isn’t the time or inclination to write them all. Let’s be quick about why:
Lionel Messi, despite a mini ego strop after being rested and missing out on being top scorer to Ronaldo, is a man who has scored – if I remember correctly – over two hundred goals this season. Like Maradona before him, he is an Argentine in Barcelona capable of vaccinating a team single-handedly. There’simply no way to repel him for ninety minutes. With so many other players posing an threat, there’s a grim inevitability about watching Barcelona for the neutral. They’re going to win, and for lots of us, they’ll be boring to watch while they do it. As difficult as it is to achieve 70% possession, it is visually numbing, but thoroughly intimidating for the opposition. Manchester United might possess the mental toughness to deal with this, but they don’t have the skill.
Barcelona have more than one heart. As well as Messi dropping deep, United’s midfield will have to cope with Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves and Pedro. While they are accurate in possession, they are also fast, and United simply don’t possess the mobility to counter. Park is no longer as fast as he was, even if he is just as fit. Ryan Giggs is an impressive athlete to still be going at 37, but has little speed left. Michael Carrick is as slouchy as his prototype, Andrea Pirlo. Whoever United have in midfield, they will not be able to get hold of the ball to give it to Rooney. They won’t be able to start many meaningful counterattacks, the one thing Barcelona’s high pressing leaves them vulnerable to.
This pressing gives United another problem. Their midfield cannot make the most of possession when under pressure. With the exception of the Nani, who probably won’t start, there’s no fleet footedness in the side. They won’t be able to think and act quickly enough to retain the ball. In the Premiership, against teams sitting back, they’ve had less need to concentrate so intensely.
Many argue that, ‘On their day, United can beat anyone.’ But on many of their days, especially away matches, United served up some of the most rancid footballing filth by a title winning side for years. Their home form is undoubtedly impressive, but they failed to beat any decent side away from home in the Premiership this season. They lost to Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. They drew with Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City. They didn’t win a game away at the top seven, and we’re supposed to believe they stand a chance against Barcelona? They struggled at West Brom, Stoke and Wolves, to paraphrase Didier Deschamps, to find their fantasy.
The fact that they’ve won the Premiership means nothing. They were not pushed to find a higher level of performance, just more consistency. Fergie’s achievement in taking such a poor squad to the title is one of his finest achievements, juggling the inexperienced with the wantaway and the ageing. This doesn’t solve the problem that against Barcelona, in a one off game, it’s not enough. Even when Manchester United sealed the title against Chelsea with a comfortable victory, they tired noticeably in the second half, and have done so many times this season.
When people say Barcelona have looked knackered recently, who’s going to struggle more after an hour, Barcelona with the ball at their feet for three quarters of the match, or Manchester United with Ryan Giggs in midfield? The worry for United supporters is that Barcelona have such advantages, they might not need to score more than one goal in each half to stroll to victory.
