Barca ridicule United to clinch Champions League title

Barca ridicule United to clinch Champions League title

WEMBLEY: Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona humiliated Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United by 3-1 in the final to clinch the UEFA Champions League 2011 title in the soccer world’s most-anticipated match at Wembley on Saturday night.

Wayne Rooney. Courtesy: Getty Images

Lionel Messi was the developer of the well-deserved victory for the Barcelona as he scored 53^rd goal in all competitions this season and 12^th goal in the Champions League 2011 thus taking Barca to their third title in last six years.

Lionel Messi. Courtesy: Getty Images

Apart from Lionel Messi, Pedro and David Villa scored the other two goals for the Spanish champions and kept their dominance on the Red Devils whom they had defeated in the 2009 Champions League final in Barcelona. In 2006, Barca had ridiculed Arsenal and now have won a total of four Champions League titles.

Josep Guardiola. Courtesy: Getty Images

The Manchester United’s only goal was scored by Wayne Rooney but the English Premier League champions far below from their best and were dominated completely by the Barca in their third final in the last four years.

The Manchester United had won the Champions League title in 2008 when they had defeated the fellow EPL soccer club Chelsea.

Barcelona. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

The victory has made Barcelona the team envisioned once by Bill Shankly when he said he wanted to build a team that even Martians couldn’t beat them and tonight Barca showed no mercy and exhibited dominating brand of soccer and never let the English team to pose serious threat.

Barcelona attacked Van der Sar right from the start and kept the ball possession which paid dividends in the 27^th minute when unmarked Pedro scored the opener after Xavi indulged four of the Manchester United defenders then sneaking the past on the right side.

Barcelona. Courtesy: Getty Images

However, the Red Devils soon struck back in rather controversial circumstances when in the 33^rd minute Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez played a neat one-two before Rooney blasted the ball into the left corner, but Hernandez looked offside and television replays confirmed it.

However, referees never noticed it and the match carried on as the energy surged to the optimum level where Lionel Messi put Sir Alex Ferguson on burning coal in the 54^th minute when he took a pass from Xavi and neatly struck it past closing down Evra and Rio Ferdinand and also diving Van der Sar into the net. Barcelona were once again in the lead and Manchester United looked wobbled.

Eric Abidal. Courtesy: Getty Images

David Villa then hit the last nail in the Manchester United’ coffin in 70^th minute when Lionel Messi made a mockery of United defense and kept the ball possession even after three tackles before a challenge by Busquets left the ball with unmarked David Villa who held up the ball, took a touch, and hit a beautiful and unstoppable curling shot into the top right corner.

With the third goal, Manchester United’s all hopes finally diminished and the rest of the match looked very much a formality where no real urgency or desperation was showed by the Manchester United while Barcelona kept enjoying the possession as they professionally sealed the victory after three minutes were added to the stoppage time.

Lionel Messi. Courtesy: Getty Images

Stars of the night were Lionel Messi and Xavi who mostly were involved in creating number of chances during the course of the match but a brilliant Van der Sar, 40, playing in his final match for Manchester United, stopped most of them.

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