New Delhi: The grudge match between Manchester United and Barcelona on May 28 at the new Wembley promises to be a footballing spectacle. Ever since United breezed past Schalke, the war of words has already begun.
Barcelona, in their own sly way have downplayed the 'favourites' tag and star medio Xavi has tipped United to win the European title for the fourth time.
Vindicating the visionary midfielder, here are five reasons why the legend of United's triumph at the old Wembley in 1968 could repeat itself after 43 years.
1. Once bitten twice shy
The last time these two heavyweights met, it was at the same stage, but a different arena. The United vs Barcelona final at Olympic Stadium, Rome was a match which the Catalans took by the scruff of its neck. The Madrid-bound Cristiano Ronaldo made it his stage to come out trumps against Lionel Messi, which threw Sir Alex Ferguson's plans for a toss.
A tireless Samuel Eto'o put together with a sharp Messi, dissected the Red Devils apart. Ferguson has since smarted under the defeat and is now relishing the chance to set the record straight against the Catalans. Openly admitting to seeking advice from master tactician Jose Mourinho, the wily Scot will make it his life's work to put the demons of Rome to rest, and with 25 years of experience behind him, rest assured a detailed dossier to unlock the Catalan plan will be on its way.
2. Wembley or England?
A blessing in disguise for the 18-time English premier league champions is the venue of the final. The New Wembley is called the spirtual home of English football, and what better sight would it be than to watch one of the greatest English sides to fight it out for European Glory. The ground will serve as a neutral venue, as the seat allocation will be distributed evenly between the two sets of supporters, but expect the English crowd to crank up the volume and make the Barca players a nervous lot. The United supporters will be treating it as a home-tie as they are playing on their own turf and the ground conditions are such that they will be better understood by the English side than the Spanish matadors.
3. Selection headache - a good headache at last!
The two European titles that Alex Ferguson has brought to Old Trafford have always had one notable absentee in their ranks for the final. Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were forced to miss the 1999 final due to suspension and in 2006-07, so was the case with Darren Fletcher who was at his combative best that season. Fast forward to 2011-12, and Ferguson faces another selections dilemma, this time a positive one. He now has the luxury of choosing from three talented strikers, four hungry midfielders and three blazing wingers.
4. Experience - when it matters!
Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola has managed his Barcelona side for four years winning eight trophies including two La Liga titles and a Champions League going to add to his sparkling cabinet.
On the other hand, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spent close to 24 years at the helm of affairs at Old Trafford, winning a whopping 32 trophies on his way.
The stats speak for themselves as to who might edge out the tactical nous. Ferguson has been there to guide his team, whether be at their imperious best in the treble winning seasons of 1999 and 2007, or the minor slump from 2003-06, or even the current season where there have been considerable question marks over his team's credibility to reach this far in the competition. Guardiola, however, has yet to experience a downward spiral.
We all remember how Guardiola lost his temper when Barcelona drew against FC Copenhagen, and mind you that was just a draw!
Clearly, Guardiola is flustered when things do not go to plan and Ferguson will be looking to do exactly that and hope that Barcelona react just the way they did in the qualifying round of the Champions League.
5. One for the price of two
During Barca's gruelling journey through the El-Clasico, the charismatic Catalans did end up showing the world the dark side of their gameplay, with Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano going to ground as dramatically as they could!
On a lighter vein, if Barcelona have Dani Alves and and the Argentine Mascherano for their orchestrated theatrics, United have a certain Portuguese winger. Luis Nani has been known to be a fleet-footed winger not only with the ball on his feet, but even when a defender is in close proximity. His infamous diving and play-acting have now long been known and seen, so whenever the teams will be canceling out each other in possession watch out for the Portuguese to create an opening with a set-piece legitimate or otherwise! Although that would be the last thing that the capacity crowd at England.
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