Anything can happen in Champions League final between Barcelona & Manchester United - Johan Cruyff

Barca and United will confront each other in the final of Europe’s premier club competition for the second time in years at Wembley on May 28. The teams locked horns at the Olimpico in Rome in 2008-09 and at the time the Italian champions ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.
Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff believes that both Barcelona and Manchester United have the ability to win the Champions League final in London later this month.
"It is a one-off match, so anything can happen”, the Dutchman told Catalan every day Sport.
Both teams are seeking to win the European Cup for the fourth time in their history, each having won their first at the elderly Wembley stadium. Barcas are being thought about favorites by a majority of the footballing contingent but Cruyff believes that nothing can be taken for granted at the moment.

Cruyff, a legend at Barcelona both as a player and as a coach, was at the helm when the Catalan giants won the event in 1991-92 and believes that like his team, Pep Guardiola’s side are “perfect.”
"They are doing much,” he said. The objective is to always try to assemble the best team feasible, to play nice footy and to make sure that young people are proud to be associated with the Blaugrana. Comparing these things is not the best approach.
"When they won it, they were ideal. When [Frank] Rijkaard took over, they were ideal again. Now under Guardiola's process, it also seems ideal for Barcelona. The most important thing is that Barcelona are proud and happy with what happens on the field."
Barcelona are also on the verge of wrapping up the Primera Division title as they are seven points clear at the top of the table with more rounds of matches left in the championship this season.

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos asks Uefa to take action on Sergio Busquets racism allegations

Uefa forced to open a disciplinary case against Busquets after Madrid lodged a formal complaint regarding the alleged incident in the work of the Champions League semi-final first-leg on April 27 which Madrid lost 2-0.

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos hopes Uefa deal with the allegations of racism regarding Barcelona's Sergio Busquets & Los Blancos full-back Marcelo.
The Italian midfielder is alleged to have called Marcelo a "monkey" in the work of the game.
Ramos, though, was keen not to get involved given Uefa's actions in opening an inquiry.
"Only they [Busquets & Marcelo] know what happened," Ramos told the press, as reported by Marca.com.
"Uefa have trained people to make a choice. Only all of them know what happened.
Asked what they thought of the incident, Ramos said they did not understand what was said.
"There are some pics & everybody has their view, but I am not to judge. I have taken my decision, but I don't know anything else."
"There is no memory in footy & they must move on. The Clasicos are over & what happens with Barcelona does not affect us. They have forgotten about it. Uefa has to take action."
"I do not understand this language, I was three times not around & I did not listen to very well," they replied.

Park peerless in United's decisive victory

The general team display at Elderly Trafford swept away any doubts that United warrant a 12th Premier League crown with their defence solid, the midfield of Michael Carrick & Ryan Giggs working in ideal tandem & the frontline of Wayne Rooney & Javier Hernandez a force up front.

It is impossible to select individuals in analysing why Manchester United recorded a deserved victory over Chelsea which all but seals a record 19th top-flight league title.

The 30-year-old is often preferred on the left of midfield in United's huge games & although his defensive qualities put him ahead of Nani in the pecking order, they also offers a different slant to their assault.
This was evident from the start of the game when Giggs expertly found Park in an inside-left position, before they put Hernandez through for his 37-second opener which set the tone for a pulsating first half.

Park Ji-sung's display was chief among the highlights , the South Korean's work-rate & cleverness which helped to thwart Chelsea's three-man midfield.

That key pass to Park is highlighted below, & the areas in which his team-mates found him was markedly different to Antonio Valencia on the right.



Floating around in a space between the defence & midfield where Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic did not require to go, Park proved a menace.
It also provided some fascinating clues about a developing midfield with United's Champions League final against Barcelona looming on the horizon.

"Firstly, Park set the tempo of the United team right from the start" says former Arsenal full-back & Match of the Day four expert Lee Dixon. "They obviously had been primed to start quickly but they took Chelsea by surprise & I thought they was the main catalyst for that.

"His work-rate is a given & what they come to expect from him, but I thought his intelligence of when to close down when Chelsea had the ball, & his choice of space at the right time was amazing.

"In assault they also occupies narrower positions but that makes the full-back think because they can go wide as well. They picks the ball up in areas that full-backs don't necessarily like to go in & mark.

"We tend to like staying in our area not far away from our centre-back, & they feel uncomfortable when they go in to that inside-left area unless they have lovely cover. It is something that puts you in minds: do I go in & mark him or do I stay where I am?

"The safe thing to do is stay where you are but because Park is so lovely on the ball like they saw for the aim, they is a dangerous person to leave alone. I thought they did a amazing job & they tore Ivanovic to pieces sometimes."

You could argue that United selected a five-man midfield again, with Rooney dropping in to help out Giggs, Carrick, Park & Antonio Valencia. But where the formationfailed last week against Arsenal, this time they were liquid in assault & solid in defence.

The key thing here is that although it might appear that Rooney was the playing in the space between Chelsea's defence & midfield the truth was that there were actually of them: Rooney, Park & Giggs.

Giggs may tend to over the ball in to that area receiving it there, but they was sorely missing from United's midfield at the Emirates last Sunday & based on recent European performances they is proving an ideal foil alongside Carrick.

& for someone like Chelsea's defensive midfielder John Mikel Obi that proved a nightmare.

When Carrick plays with Anderson or Paul Scholes, the central midfield pair line up more side-by-side, whereas with Giggs in the side Carrick plays a lot deeper, allowing the Welshman to probe in front of him.

That gives Giggs the chance to collect the ball in midfield & run at defenders, which commits them to a challenge. When this happens it can also leave gaps for Rooney & Hernandez.

Although Park moving infield might leave United narrow on the left side in assault, usually they have Patrice Evra who can overlap from full-back & fill the space that Park vacates.

When they are defending, Park is clever & fit to track back & pick whether to stay wide to help John O'Shea, as they did on Sunday, or come infield to assist.

That also goes for Valencia who tends to hug the touchline more on the right but was willing to shadow Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole.

Without that outlet on the left Chelsea were narrow, which suited Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"Valencia will run all day, there were plenty of times when they was at right-back, & the amount of times Cole got in behind United's defence were few & far between so it shows they was doing his job.

"This week United got the balance right in midfield & got help in the right areas," Dixon adds. "Both Valencia & Park returned which sometimes freed of the defenders to actually step in to midfield from a defensive position.

"Chelsea's wider players Florent Malouda & Salomon Kalou tried to hunt for the ball, but they didn't stay that wide that often.

"Chelsea had plenty of players who were calm & they got hit by Manchester United who were in an attacking frame of mind. It surprised them & I think they thought that United would sit back & hit them on the break, therefore waiting for a draw. In fact, they did the opposite."

It may be stretching it to say that United will have learned useful lessons before they take on Barcelona at Wembley on 28 May, as the Catalans will offer a different conundrum to Chelsea.

Yet in the midfield where United's issues appeared to have stemmed from this season, they now appear to have made progress at exactly the right time.

& more importantly, in the event that they start the Champions League final at the same tempo they may be able to catch out their opponents again.

Sir Alex Ferguson sure Man Utd will win title next week

Goals by Javier Hernandez & Nemanja Vidic earned United a 2-1 win which means they need a only point at Blackburn to seal a record 19th title.
"Knowing the players they won't muck it up," said Ferguson. "They will receive a point there is no doubt about that.
"It's fantastic to be the most successful team in the country."
If as expected United seal the title it will be their 12th league success since Ferguson joined from Aberdeen in 1986 but they remains in no doubt as to the importance of his first title triumph in 1992.

"The minute they won that first title in 1992 the door opened, & we have been involved in the first all throughout that period - it is an fabulous achievement," they added.
"For the last 17 or 18 years it is been Arsenal & Chelsea as our nearest challengers, & the last few years it is been Chelsea. Arsenal made a great attempt this year but them losing [at Stoke] has finalised it.
"It took time to get the foundations of the club right & after they got the first title they improved, improved & improved."
Ferguson's side had lots of chances in the first half to make the winning margin more good-looking before Frank Lampard got a aim back for Chelsea in the 68th minute.
"We do it on a regular basis. They could have scored about six in the second half. You expect a hard game against Chelsea & they got that," added the Scot.
"We got a great start. It was a nice team performance. When they gave the ball away for their aim the fans helped us by playing their part. Credit to the players because they deserved it."
However while Ferguson believes the title is all-but won, midfielder Ryan Giggs, who is also set to win his 12th league title, said there was no room for complacency in their final league fixtures against Blackburn & Blackpool.
"Both of those teams are fighting for their lives. They must go to Ewood Park next week to try to finish it off as early as feasible," said the 37-year-old.
Meanwhile Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who faces an uncertain future after ending the season trophyless, conceded that his side had been beaten by the better team on the day.
"In the first minute they lost it [the game]," they said. "We started so bad, it was difficult after that to come back & win.

"The second half was better [for us] but in general United played better & deserved to win. They took lots of time to clear our heads [after their first goal] because they didn't need to start the game by conceding aim.
"United were strong so it was difficult to come back.
"It is not a disappointment because when team plays better than you, you need to accept it. They were better than us & in the season as well. Now they are comfortable to win the title & they deserve it.
"My future? I think they must wait weeks. It is not a long time. I hope [I am at Chelsea next season] but it is not my decision."

Champions League - Barcelona in final after draw with Real

Real’s promising start was a distant memory as the hosts ran and passed rings around them, Spain keeper Casillas making smart stops from Messi and David Villa before keeping his side in the game with an excellent save from the Argentine.All Real could muster was a cross-shot from Cristiano Ronaldo that Valdes met before Angel Di Maria, with the Portuguese once again lacklustre in the biggest non-domestic games.There was a touch of controversy as Gonzalo Higuain had a goal disallowed early in the second half with the score still goalless and, while there were none of the ugly scenes seen in the first leg, late in the match featured a spot of Barca simulation and some fouls from a frustrated Real.Adebayor was happy to put it about - flinging himself into a mixture of fair and foul tackles and booked for shirt-tug on Messi - while Busquets and Mascherano were responsible for some unnecessary rolls, with the latter’s attempt to get the excellent Lassana Diarra sent off particularly irritating.Indeed, replays hinted that Mascherano dived, having realised that Ronaldo had played Higuain through but also that he was close enough to the Portuguese to give the referee a decision to make.The first real attempt at mind-games occurred before second-half kick-off as Barca made Real wait a few minutes before returning to the pitch.

Victor Valdes barely noticed though, with Madrid lacking the guile to get past Gerard Pique in particular as Pep Guardiola’s side clicked into gear on a quick pitch nicely moistened by a thunderstorm before kick-off, leading to ironic suggestions that even the weather is pro-Barca.Marcelo pulled Madrid level 10 minutes later but the expected grandstand finish failed to materialise as both sides cancelled each other out.It was referee Frank De Bleeckere’s only failing - otherwise he let the game flow, was relatively lax with Carvalho in particular and did not buy any gamesmanship from either side.Real’s outspoken coach Jose Mourinho was widely condemned for his angry statements after the first leg and, even though he was banned from the touchline, he still managed to create the pre-match talking point by failing to show up at the stadium.Barca comfortably rode the match out to qualify for their third final in six years while Real have to content themselves with a Copa del Rey victory, with La Liga all-but won for the Catalan side.The Liga leaders will now face either Manchester United or Schalke 04 in the final at Wembley later this month, with United favourites to progress after they won the first leg 2-0 in Germany.Mourinho left assistant Aitor Karanka in charge as he reportedly watched the match from the comfort of the team hotel, out of sight of the cameras and microphones hunting every flamboyant gesture and ill-advised comment.Following the 2-0 win at the Bernabeu, Barca were clear favourites for the tie even before Pedro’s second-half goal from Andres Iniesta’s glorious pass gave them a 3-0 overall lead.Otherwise, the match seemed to drift away, Barca happy to play a Madrid-style countering game, with Los Merengues starting to toil in the rain.It was game over soon afterwards though when Iniesta - injured for the first leg - split the visiting defence in two with a glorious through ball that found the narrowest of gaps between Carvalho and Raul Albiol, Pedro staying onside before rattling a wicked low finish past Casillas.Fuelled by a mini sense of injustice, Madrid were buzzing, Ronaldo almost releasing Higuain and Di Maria but denied by good defending from Puyol and Pique respectively.Madrid pulled one back when Marcelo smacked in a sweet finish, set up by the unselfish Di Maria, who picked up the loose ball after his initial shot cracked off the woodwork following a trademark mazy run.On 22 minutes Sergio Busquets - a figure of controversy over an alleged racist incident involving Marcelo in the first leg - should have scored for the hosts, heading straight at Iker Casillas from a Xavi corner, and from thereon in it was all Barca.

Karanka responded by introducing Emmanuel Adebayor, whose first act was to leave a stud mark on the calf of Busquets.In addition to the improved attitude, the football was better too, with Madrid initially starting impressively as they tried to surmount the seemingly insurmountable by grabbing an early goal.It was goalless at the break but, frankly, could have been more as Real barely got a look-in during the second quarter.Real needed two goals in 25 minutes, but they failed to materialise.The first half saw little of the Barca gamesmanship that marred that contest and no nonsense whatsoever, with slightly theatrical tumbles by Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano the only sour points in a first half that saw none of the referee-baiting and card-demanding that outraged most non-Spanish viewers last time.Indeed, Ricardo Carvalho - whose first booking was a touch harsh - was very fortunate not to see a second yellow after a couple of late and reckless challenges as Lionel Messi was set to run through.There was a bright spot for all football fans when Eric Abidal - surprisingly back in the fold after having a tumour removed from his liver in February - was brought on at the end, a remarkable comeback from his cancer scare, while Pedro suffered a jarred knee that should not see him ruled out for more than a game at worst.There was further delay as a hat-wearing pitch-invader was rugby tackled and dragged away by security and, when the match finally restarted, there was a moment of controversy as Higuain was denied a goal after Ronaldo was adjudged to have felled Mascherano in the build-up: the Argentine made the most of any contact.