The Heavyweight Championship Preview: Manchester United v Barcelona

(In a deep, powerful voice) And in the main event of the season, the match we (and UEFA....and the TV companies) have been waiting for...

In the red corner; weighing in with 18 League titles, 11 FA cups and 3 European cups, hailing from Manchester, England, The current and reigning European champions, The 'Red Devils,' Manchester United F.C.

In the blue corner, weighing in with 20 League titles, 25 Copa del Reys and 2 European cups, hailing from, Barcelona, Spain, the challengers, 'Barca,' Futbol Club Barcelona.

Will the Champions league final be a boxing match? Well, in terms of physicality, probably not, but in regards to speed, technique, endurance and tactics, the elements that determine most fights, it will be. Manchester United and Barcelona have been the two best teams in Europe this season and, over the last few years, have assembled the two strongest squads.

Both teams are recent winners of Europe's most prestigious trophy; Barcelona in 2006 (when they defeated English opposition in Arsenal) and of course Manchester Utd last year. Both have already secured their league championships and are in line to win a treble should they be victorious in Rome (arguably a quadruple for United, including the World club championship, for Barca, they would be the first Spanish side to complete the treble) and the similarities don't end there.

The pair equally rely on home-grown talent, play appealing, attacking football and share the two best players in the world right now. And while it may seem that Sir Alex Ferguson and Josep Guardiola have little in common in regards to their managerial credentials (Ferguson has won nearly every major trophy in his 22 years with United, this is Guardiola's first year in charge of Barca), both are deeply entrenched in their club's history and ethos. 'Pep' played for the Catalans for eleven years, coming through their famed youth academy (indeed it would be hard to find two better academies represented in this game) before returning last year to coach their 'b' team, which he lead to promotion. Both managers seem to foster a loyalty and a bond with their players (albeit the sample size is small for Guardiola) and ask their troops to work hard both on and off the field.

Considering that this is the Barcelona's coach first year, the results have been pretty astounding; a league championship, winning the Copa del Rey, a 22-game undefeated league streak (of which they won 19 out of 20 and virtually tied up the title with a third of the season remaining), 151 goals in all competitions, a 6-2 victory at the home of their biggest rival and a place in the Champions league final on May 27th. They ensured that place by outclassing their group opponents (losing only when they had already qualified) and routing Lyon and Bayern Munich. Chelsea fans will be still be bitter at the manner of defeat to the Catalans but cannot argue that the Barcelona controlled possession and were at least equal in the tie.

On the opposing touchline will be Sir Alex Ferguson and, for all he has achieved with the club, this could be his finest year to date. Under his guidance, Untied have become a European powerhouse and dominated the domestic game, with the crowning glory coming in the 1998/9 season when they famously won the treble. This year, Man Utd have rarely been at their incisive best, but they have continued in the tradition for what they are most renowned; finding a way to win. United won the League cup on penalties, the World club cup by a single goal and the league with a 0-0 home draw (the only major competition they failed to win came by way of a penalty defeat to Everton in the FA cup). In the Champions league, they qualified from their group comfortably but with only two victories. In the knockout stages, once again, they did just enough to fend off Inter Milan and Porto before showing their class to defeat Arsenal in the semi-finals.

It was in that game against Arsenal that the team's best player came to the fore; Cristiano Ronaldo scored two, made one, and effectively won the game in the first fifteen minutes. The current European and World player of the year scored the winner away at Porto and the second at home to Inter in the previous rounds, and while his 4 goals this season are half of what he achieved in firing United to Champions League triumph last term, he is the most potent threat to Barcelona. It has been considered somewhat of a down year for Ronaldo but he still has 26 goals at a rate of one every two games and appears to be rounding into form at the right time.

The apparent heir to the 'best player in the world' throne will play opposite Ronaldo a week from now. Lionel Messi has long been considered one of the most gifted young players in the world but it has been this season, much in the way it was for Ronaldo last year, that everything seems to have come together for the Argentinean wonderkid. 37 goals in all competitions, 8 in Europe, Messi has become the all-round menace that opposing teams must have feared he would. Numerous highlight moments have accompanied his goal tally (this is one of his best this year - which I simply had to include for the soundtrack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW3fucV4j5Y&feature=related) and the 21 year old is the key to three-man frontline employed by Barca. However, for all the superlatives written about him this season, Chelsea held him to limited opportunities in their semi-final, albeit it was he who set up Iniesta for the dramatic tie-clinching equaliser.

The supporting cast for Barcelona contain a host of lead actors. Thierry Henry and Samuel Etoo have 57 goals between them (that’s 94, yes 94, goals between the front three) and in Xavi and Iniesta, have two world-class players to support the attack. Iniesta is dynamic and direct, Xavi the dictator and the dynamo (and best player at last year's European Championship); this pair hardly ever lose the ball. Yaya Toure will likely sit in front of the back four and, like his brother Kolo, is a physical presence with good feet. The back four will be under pressure with the suspensions of Dani Alves, the excellent roaming full-back, and Eric Abidal but in Carles Puyol, have not only a tenacious and talented defender, but also an inspirational captain. He could be asked to play at right back with Martin Caceres (a summer 16.5 million Euro signing from Villareal but only in the team due to injury to Rafael Marquez) and former United player, Gerard Pique at centre back. Caceres and Puyol may be asked to swap roles or Toure could fill in at the back with Seydou Keita or Sergi Busquets coming into midfield. Sylvinho, the former Arsenal player, could well be the favourite to occupy the vacant left back slot and, even at 35, is still serviceable at this level. Victor Valdes will be the last line of the defence and, while he has been criticised previously, especially for being weak coming off his line, he was singled out by many of the club's hierarchy for his performance at Chelsea.

While Barcelona's back line could be a weakness, Puyol, who missed their second leg game with Chelsea through suspension, is the key to the unit. Caceres is quick, proficient and mature beyond his tender years and Sylvinho has the experience and ability to replace Abidal competently. However, whoever lines up, the group will not have played that often together and lack the offensive threat that they would usually bring.

Barcelona failed in its appeal to have both Dani Alves and Eric Abidal available for the final while United also failed in theirs. Darren Fletcher will miss the big night in Rome, a desperate fate for a player who has had his best season for the Reds, and they will miss his energy and understanding with Michael Carrick (Carrick's passing and industry will be key in both retaining possession and taking away from their opponents)

Who will play alongside Carrick is harder to predict. Manchester United have regularly shuffled the pack this year, both domestically and in Europe. Edwin Van der Sar will begin in goal and has had a consistent season, despite now being 38 years of age. Van der Sar, along with his defence, went 1,302 minutes without conceding earlier this year, an English league record that propelled them to the summit of the Premier League. In front of the Dutchman, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and John O'Shea will probably form the back four. Evra has matured into one of the world's best left backs and is ably joined by maybe the best central defensive pairing in world football currently. O'Shea, an unused substitute in last years final, has started more games in Europe than any other United player this season and scored the decisive goal in their first leg clash with Arsenal. Ferguson will likely select two of Scholes, Anderson and Giggs to partner Carrick and may well favour the combination of youth and experience with Anderson and Giggs. Anderson is full of vigour and enterprise, while Giggs, a veteran of two finals, can always be relied upon to perform on the main stage. It was Paul Scholes though who scored the winning goal in last years semi-final, the last meeting between the two sides.

Further forward, Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are certain starters. Ronaldo will be the focus of much hype in the build up but Rooney have the more important role to play. Strong and quick with fine vision and technique, Rooney has blossomed into a strong team player for United, and while his discipline can still be called into question, his passion and work rate cannot. If United are to impede Barca's ability to control the ball, it may well start with the forwards and limiting how far forward their full backs can venture. For this reason, Carlos Tevez could be the favourite to spearhead the attack. Dimi Berbatov offers style and craft but Sir Alex may favour the diligence and harassment that Tevez can bring. Another option would be to start either Rooney or Ronaldo in a central role and play Park-Ji-Sung wide. Park missed the final last year but has played a big part in their journey to the final this year and Ferguson has indicated that he may be used in Rome.

For all the problems Barcelona have defensively (and they may add to their omissions if Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry fail to recover from injury), this is a team that has built on its intelligent use of the football coupled with attacking speed and guile. United must limit the time and space afforded Xavi and Iniesta around their box. Barcelona love to play quick, one and two touch passes and with their intelligent movement and the seemingly telepathic nature of the understanding between Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Etoo, are almost impossible to defend at times. The onus will be on Carrick and Anderson (who will probably play quite deep) to pressure their opponents and for Ferdinand and Vidic to close the gaps in which the forwards can run which may mean playing a yard off Samuel Etoo. Chelsea provided a good blueprint for United as to how to defend Messi and Etoo (Henry, the third part of the triumvirate, was unavailable with injury) but still allowed Barca over 60% possession in the game. Indeed, it may have only been their futility in the final third that kept that game poised as it was.

Leo Messi's match up with Evra could be crucial; Evra will need to show him outside as much as possible while Messi will try and drift across the back four to find the ball in the gap between defence and midfield. If United try to focus on him too extensively then the gaps could open up for his attacking cohorts, particularly Henry on the other flank.

The way that Barcelona play, or perhaps due to just how good they are, forces teams to play on the counter but this won't concern Man Utd too much. They are amongst the best in Europe on the break and, in Ronaldo and Rooney, have the ideal pair to transition defence into attack quickly. Both may look for space out wide but attack Barca's potentially soft centre with the use of Berbatov or Tevez as a 'pivot' to play off. Barcelona will attempt to stay tight to the duo, frustrate them and force them to release the ball early. In reality, these are two evenly matched sides and, as we have seen in previous finals, it is the team that executes the better on the day, benefits from a moment of magic or a glaring error that wins the game; seven of the last eight previous finals have all been won by a single goal or on penalties. One point to note is that this will be United's 65th and Barca's 64th games of the season and neither will want to be chasing the ball for long periods.

Should Man United win, they will be making history by becoming the first team to retain the Champions League trophy in its current format. Ajax and Valencia have reached consecutive finals while both Milan and Juventus have been to three in a row but none of those teams managed to repeat (in fact these four teams combined for ten appearances and only three victories during those runs) and you have to trace back to 1990 for the last example of such a feat in its previous guise when A.C Milan defeated Benfica.

Yet history does lean towards United in regards to their previous matches with Barca; three wins to two, with four draws, featuring their only other meeting in a European final. The two teams met in Rotterdam to contest the 1991 Cup Winner's Cup final and two goals from Mark Hughes won the game 2-1. Furthermore, of the three previous finals held in Rome, two have been won by an English side; United's biggest rivals in fact, Liverpool.

At the end of a long and successful year for these two sides, the highlight of the club calendar is almost upon us. Over 72,000 fans and millions worldwide will watch the two best players and the two best teams battle for a single prize. It’s the final that just about everyone wanted and in the gladiatorial atmosphere of Rome's Stadio Olimpico, we hope to be treated by Manchester United and Barcelona to what the mob always clamoured for in the Coliseum, entertainment.