MANCHESTER UNITED VS. FC BARCELONA @ ROME

or you can call it the clash of ......

THE CRYBABY DIVER VS. THE SHORT PRODIGY



The biggest football clash of the season. Every single football fan in the world is looking forward to this match with great anticipation. Some, like me, born in the wrong timezone, will have to wake up to steal chicken. It is a Chinese idiom or proverb which means waking up early in the morning just like thieves who has the plan to steal chickens in the villages. Well, if you ask me, as a neutral, who should win the clash, I will easily give you an answer without hesitation. The clash between the Spanish champions VS. the English champions is definitely something worth looking forward as a final. The English has dominated European football for the past few seasons and FC Barcelona are the most suitable and qualified candidate to stop this trend. FC Barcelona are to me the most complete, most entertaining and most perfect team of the season in the entire world and probably in the whole of football history of any season compared. Therefore, they are worthy of winning the Champions League by all means. If you look at the statistics of the entire season, you will agree with me that it is only fair that they win the Champions League because they deserve it for their incredible perfect season. Let's look at the whole season stats.

The top scorers for Barcelona and Manchester United for the Champions League competition are Lionel Messi with 8 goals and Dimitar Berbatov with 4 goals. That says a lot about who has superior offence.

FC Barcelona scored 104 goals in 37 matches, with a match left away to Deportivo La Coruna on the 31st May 2009. Samuel Eto'o is their top scorer with 29 goals, followed by Lionel Messi with 23 goals and Thierry Henry with 19 goals. Xavi is the leading assist contributor with 20, followed by 11 from Lionel Messi and finally 9 from Daniel Alves. In the Spanish Copa del Rey in all 9 matches, including the final where they won 4-1 against Atletic Bilbao, they scored 17 goals. In all 14 matches leading to the Champions League final, they scored a total of 34 goals.

Manchester United scored just 68 goals from all 38 league matches played. Their top three scorers are Cristiano Ronaldo with just 18 goals, followed by Wayne Rooney with 12 goals and Dimitar Berbatov with 9 goals. Their top three assist contributors are Dimitar Berbatov with 9, followed by Ryan Giggs with 7 and finally Wayne Rooney with 7. This is a really funny part which means the midfielders, especially Cristiano Ronaldo, who can only manage 6, are selfish players. Midfielders should be leading the assist table for a football club. In the Carling Cup, which they won on 4-1 (coincidently same score as FC Barcelona in the Spanish Copa del Rey final) penalties after the 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, they scored 13 goals in 6 matches. In the Champions League, they scored 18 goals in all 12 matches played leading to the final.

That means in 46 domestic matches, FC Barcelona scored 121 goals, or a record of 2.63 goals per match. In Europe, their record is 2.43 goals per match. As for Manchester United, they scored a total of 81 goals in 44 matches, which translates to 1.84 goals per match. In Europe, their record is 1.5 goals per match.

In all likelihood, in the most normal setting, FC Barcelona will win the Champions League. However, as the old saying goes, football is round, everything is possible until the last minute when the referee blows the whistle. We have the Milan VS. Liverpool finals from the past to remind us that sometimes football can be extremely cruel and unfair. For me, Barcelona's weakest link is in defence and the people who always disappoint in the biggest clashes are Víctor Valdés and even Carles Puyol. Defenders Eric Abidal and Dani Alves are suspended and defender Rafael Marquez is injured, which will surely work in Manchester United's favour and advantage. If Manchester United cannot expose them of their weakest links, FC Barcelona should win. Henry and Iniesta were named to be fit to play and Rio Ferdinand could make it in time for the clash.

Both have a chance to win a treble while Manchester United will aim at winning back-to-back Champions League title. Let's prepare for the exciting clash ahead and hopefully the fans will behave in Rome. A win for Barcelona will give rookie coach Pep Guardiola the most perfect start in his managerial career, probably the best ever for any football manager in the football history.

Finally, yes, I am supporting the short prodigy over the over-rated crybaby diver, eventhough I know the defensive department is Barcelona's Achilles' heel. Yes, I know Chelsea deserve to be in the final more than Barcelona. That's football...



May the best team wins!