Barcelona 2 Man United 0: That's another fine Messi – Barca taunt

The pursuit of immortality in the Eternal City proved a painful one for Manchester United last night. Their every human weakness was exposed in a lesson, given by this brilliant Barcelona side, that was brutal in its execution.

• There are so many images that will live long in the memories of those who witnessed this annihilation in the Olympic Stadium.
• But rarely, if ever, have Sir Alex Ferguson and his staff looked as beaten and so utterly deflated as they did after Lionel Messi scored the second of Barcelona’s goals in the 70th minute.
• It was extraordinary to see these proud men of Manchester slumped in their seats in the dug-out, almost horizontal in some cases, and completely at a loss as to what to do next. They had been blocked at every turn; not so much outwitted as completely outclassed.
• Four times Ferguson changed his formation and four times Barcelona made the necessary adjustments that enabled them to maintain control. He tried 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 again before throwing the lot, the kitchen sink included, at the Catalans with a 4-2-4 line-up that underlined the sense of desperation.
• For Wayne Rooney, in particular, it became a frustrating night, his role changing on at least three occasions. Ferguson has resorted to such measures in the past. But never this early and never when just one goal – scored by Samuel Eto’o – still divided the teams.
• This, however, was the situation in which Ferguson found himself last night. First he was forced to deploy Carlos Tevez at the restart and then, in the 65th minute, sent on Dimitar Berbatov alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Three �30million strikers and the best player in the world.
• That they did so little to trouble a Barcelona defence supposedly wrecked by injuries and suspensions will disappoint Ferguson. So, too, will the manner of a performance that, in the end, fell way below the expectations of this allconquering United team.
• There was always a chance United might surrender the trophy they won so spectacularly 12 months ago – but not this meekly. Ferguson had to abandon Plan A as well as Plans B and C because Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Michael Carrick were no match for the superlative Xavi and Andres Iniesta in the centre of midfield and because United never really recovered from that early Eto’o goal. This was a night when United needed Roy Keane, not a 35-year-old Giggs.
• Goals do indeed change games but that sucker punch of a 10thminute strike changed everything, with Barcelona suddenly dominating in a manner that had seemed beyond them in that opening spell.
• United, employing the formation that proved so effective in the semifinal against Arsenal, started impressively. They were here to become the first team successfully to defend the European Cup in the modern Champions League format and, boy, how they seemed to want it. But the goal hit them like a hammer blow, knocking them back on the heels and shattering their confidence.
• It came from nothing as Barcelona mounted their first attack. A super pass from Iniesta and suddenly Eto’o, positioned last night on the right with Messi in the centre, accelerated off the flank and past Nemanja Vidic before maintaining enough composure to absorb the challenge of Michael Carrick and beat Edwin van der Sar at his near post.
• Ferguson had, of course, been here before – not against Barcelona but in Barcelona, when Bayern Munich struck the opening goal of that remarkable final 10 years ago. But this was new territory for the class of 2009, having landed the first blow against Chelsea in Moscow last year.
• Having had most of the ball in those early exchanges, United now found themselves chasing it as Xavi and Iniesta did exactly what Ferguson feared they would do. Their passing made United’s heads spin, just as they had made England’s heads spin when they met Spain in Seville in February.
• Ronaldo had started brightly enough in his role as centre forward, forcing Victor Valdes to make his only real save of the night with a viciously struck free-kick.
• But too many of the Portuguese winger’s colleagues were struggling to make an impression. Rooney was quiet on the left; Ji-Sung Park ineffective on the right.
• Anderson, at 21, was the second youngest player on the pitch last night and, my, how he looked it. Ryan Giggs, conversely, appeared to feel age against the younger, sharper Spaniards.
• United arrived here on the back of a 25-game unbeaten run in the Champions League but this was fast becoming a harsh reminder of their last defeat, the 2007 semi-final loss to an AC Milan side who also dominated the English champions. In the intense Italian heat, Barca simply did not let United breathe.
• They pressed hard when they did not have the ball and ran hard when they did.
• The decision to send on Tevez for Anderson at the start of the second half was bold but necessary. Ferguson had to make a change and that was the obvious one.
• Would Tevez make the crucial difference in what was likely to be his last appearance for United? Would the reshuffle enable Ronaldo to make the crucial breakthrough in what could also prove to be his farewell encounter?
• United were better after the break, even if Barca still posed the greater threat. Thierry Henry forced a fine save from Van der Sar and Xavi sent a free-kick crashing against a post.
• Another gamble by Ferguson followed. Off went Park and on went Berbatov and the now-or-never 4-2-4 formation.
• The result? A wonderful ball from Xavi and a similarly brilliant header from the shortest bloke on the pitch. Messi is fantastic, but Rio Ferdinand will wince at the sight of Messi winning that particular aerial battle. That was it for United. Game over. Nothing more to give and credit to Barcelona for becoming the first Spanish side to win a European and domestic treble.
• Credit to Pep Guardiola, too, for lifting the European Cup in his first season as a manager and joining that elite group who have won club football’s greatest trophy as a coach as well as a player. On a night when Rome was ready to build a 21st-century pantheon in Ferguson’s honour, the laurels went to Barcelona.