# Champions League: Man U v Barca **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287 "2011-05-26T13:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/21 "2011-05-27T18:31:35Z")
Finals are always disappointing affairs. It will probably be a fairly tight low scoring match to either one. Hell, this year’s Europa League final had a seriously disproportionate tie between an Oporto who had steamrolled every other team in the competition and the modest Braga, and neither team had the stones to get out of their respective sides. Barcelona’s weakness is a certain lack of alternatives in front of good defenses: all their forwards are weak and short, and need to be having a good day to really make the old football machine work, so a bet on United’s reliable defenders is safer than you may think. I’d wager 1 - nil to ManU, with an early Park goal and the rest of the game consisting of Barcelona trying desperately to make something out of their 80% possession with no real results. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/22 "2011-05-27T18:48:36Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > (If you don’t get the joke… I probably can’t explain it. Suffice it to say it’s grossly nerdy.) It always comes down to exploiting the other side’s psych lims, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/23 "2011-05-28T03:40:39Z")
The betting line has moved significantly in favor of Barcelona, assuming it is a true indicator of the probability of winning. Barcelona -135 Man u. +260 draw. +230 For those not familiar with this betting system, this means if you want Barca, you’d have to risk 135 to win 100. Previously, risking 100 would have won you 105. For Man u, risking 100 wins you 260. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/24 "2011-05-28T04:02:27Z")
I haven’t seen much of Man U this year, but every time I watch Barca I’m blown away. I don’t know if I’d bet on them with those odds, but damn they’re good. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/25 "2011-05-28T19:42:55Z")
1: 1 at half time, Pedro goal (mainly due to an asleep Evra) and Rooney equalizes. Barca and Guadiola looked unhappy at Rooney’s goal, this was NOT the plan. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/26 "2011-05-28T19:59:31Z")
What a goal by Messi! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/27 "2011-05-28T20:04:39Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > What a goal by Messi! That was a very soft goal. Not impressive. Barca is fantastic though, clearly the better team. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/28 "2011-05-28T20:12:07Z")
Frankly, this is what is known as a dicking. Barcelona are streets in front of Manchester United. United aren’t even playing that badly - Barca are just that fucking good. ETA: 3-1 now. Villa. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/29 "2011-05-28T20:13:04Z")
Now that’s a goal. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/30 "2011-05-28T20:15:52Z")
Indeed, nice touch on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/31 "2011-05-28T20:45:09Z")
3-1 final. That was about what I expected. Messi didn’t have that great of a game actually. Xavi and Iniesta… just wow. It’s amazing how they control the entire game. Possession was like 70-30 Barca (just like every game) and 90% of that possession is due to those two. I think I’d probably bag 5 goals a season if I was on Barca. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/32 "2011-05-28T20:47:34Z")
At least the scoreline was close for a while considering how much better Barca was. Not even close, though Barca did look plenty shaky at the back in those first ten minutes. It would be cool if the English and Spanish champions had a cup every year. They could call it the King and Queen’s Cup. I’d watch it. Italy and Germany could have an Axis Cup for the lower tier. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/33 "2011-05-28T21:10:22Z")
Barcelona were playing a different game there for a 20 min spell at the start of the second half - men against boys. Saying that, I still think Utd will be disappointed with their performance and could have done a lot better. Their midfield was toilet all game - Giggs, Carrick and Valencia were really poor, and the first of those two shouldn’t have started IMO. Hernandez didn’t get a kick all game. It’s probably true to say that they could play 10 times and Utd wouldn’t win, but they could have contested things a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/34 "2011-05-28T21:32:11Z")
> [@Cumbrian](#): > > Frankly, this is what is known as a dicking. Barcelona are streets in front of Manchester United. United aren’t even playing that badly - Barca are just that fucking good. > > […] Exactly. Man U played about as well as you could expect, but Barca were just something else tonight. A privilege to watch that kind of football! Even Fergie saw that - I can’t remember the last time (if ever) I saw him smile while shaking the hands of a coach whose team had just beat him. ---
**Author:** ![BDoors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BDoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDoors)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/35 "2011-05-28T21:41:02Z")
Rather reminiscent of the 2009 final. Man United came out like terriers and seemed to have Barcelona on the ropes for a while, but in hindsight Bracelona probably expected that. They soaked it up, and then simply outclassed United for the rest of the game, Rooney’s goal notwithstanding. I actually feel slightly sorry for Ferguson - I don’t think it is within him or indeed the English system to come up with a team likely to beat Barcelona. Just look at how many of their players are home-grown. English football cannot compete with that. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/36 "2011-05-28T21:55:04Z")
It’s hard to point to anything Utd (or anyone else) could do to get to that level, definitely. It’s not like they can go out and buy a world class, ball-winning midfielder and hey presto that will have them competing. Only prayer they might have is that Guardiola has intimated on several occasions that there’s a definite shelf life to his time there - he sees himself moving on sooner rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/37 "2011-05-29T00:28:47Z")
Disappointed, but you can only tip your hat when the other team is so good. I thought United could/would win, but that was predicated in part on Valencia having a good game. Unfortunately, this was probably the worst he’s played for United…or at least the least effective he’s played. I don’t know if he was bad or Abidal good, but nothing worked from the right wing. Forgot to add, I’m glad Rooney had a good game. With a summer off, I hope he puts it all together for 10 injury-free months next season. All week, I’d thought 442 was the way to go, but then this morning, I started to think that 451 with Fletcher marking Iniesta, with Carrick sticking close to Rio and Vidic, would have been the best way to go. Had things worked for Valencia, 442 could have worked. In hindsight…c’est la vie. Congrats to Barca. They’re going to win a couple more in the next 5 years or so, unless ridiculous offers come in for their players (SAF, please put one in for Iniesta!). Bring on August! /still got 19! ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/38 "2011-05-29T23:30:24Z")
At certain moments it looks like Barcelona plays with 12 or 13 guys on the field. They are never outmanned defensively but they always have a guy open. Manchester could’ve played better but it would’ve taken all 11 ManU guys playing at 100% or more to make it a match. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287/39 "2011-06-01T09:13:37Z")
Man U played like European Champions. Barca played like Barca. No contest. A nice simple strategy, keep possession damnit. Works everytime. No need for hopeful passes which look spectacular but lose possession nine times out of ten. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/champions-league-man-u-v-barca/583287.md?page=1)