Manchester United must learn lessons from 2009 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona

Edwin van der Sar branded Manchester United’s 6-1 aggregate semi-final victory over Schalke as a “perfect” result but urged his team to learn the lessons of their 2009 Champions League defeat to Barcelona if they are to win the competition.

The Red Devils cruised into the final and a date with Pep Guardiola’s men at Wembley after a comfortable victory at Old Trafford, despite making major changes to their team with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand all rested.

Yet goals from Antonio Valencia, Darron Gibson and a brace from Anderson helped secure the victory, which Van der Sar believed was a comfortable win.

“[It was] perfect, of course after the first leg we were quite well set up so we were able to make some changes and keep the majority of players fresh for Sunday,” he told ITV.

“You saw the emotion from Barcelona yesterday and maybe our celebrations were more subdued, it’s a big rivalry of course Madrid and Barca. This was a game we comfortably won in the end.”

The win sets up a repeat of the 2009 final in Rome which Barcelona won 2-0 and the Dutchman urged his team-mates to learn the lessons from that defeat.

“They [Barcelona] play extremely well and it going to be difficult,” he explained.

“They showed that in the final in 2009 and we have to make sure we learn our lesson from that and deal with that in a different way.”

The veteran, who is set to play his last game for Manchester United in the final, also admitted it would be a great occasion and he was hoping to sign off on a high.

“I think it means a lot for the club, for the players and the fans and for Sir Bobby [Charlton] of course and for the manager," he added.

"It will be a great occasion and to play at Wembley it's going to be great and hopefully with a better outcome that a couple of years ago.”

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Benedikt Howedes: Manchester United & Barcelona deserve to be in Champions League final

Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes admits that Manchester United were deserved winners of the Champions League semi-final tie between the two teams.

The German side lost the second-leg 4-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening to be knocked out 6-1 on aggregate, and Howedes concedes that the English side are worthy finalists of Europe’s premier club competition.

"We played a great Champions League season,” Howedes told Sky Germany after the match. “In the last two matches you could see that Man United were better and deserved to reach the final.

“Man United were more active than [quarter-final opponents] Inter. They switched much more quickly. Inter let us combine a lot more, Man United defended with ten men and attacked with ten men very quickly - that made them very strong.

“I'm looking forward to the final between Barcelona and Manchester [United],” added the 23-year-old. “We would have liked to be there, for sure, but these teams deserve to be there. They're the best teams in Europe."

The final between Barcelona and United is at Wembley in London on May 28.

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Barcelona & Manchester United to contest 2010-11 Champions League final

Barcelona and Manchester United will confront each other in the final of the Champions League for the second time in three years.

While the Spanish champions got the better of their arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the first semi-finals, the Red Devils swept aside German opposition Schalke in the last four 6-1 over the two legs.

Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson met each other in the finale of Europe’s premier club competition in 2008-09 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome where Barca ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, with Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi etching their names on the scoresheet.

This time the final is at Wembley in London on May 28. Barcelona won their first European Cup in 1991-1992 at the old Wembley stadium and will be hoping to conquer Europe for the fourth time in their history.

As for United, it will be their third appearance in the final in four years and Sir Alex will aspire to win his third Champions League trophy following successes in 1999 and 2008.

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Manuel Neuer: I don't want to talk about my future now

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes his team's failure to play at their best is the reason for their 4-1 defeat to Manchester United in the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday evening.

The German side were unable to overturn their 2-0 deficit from the home leg with United choosing to rest several first team stars.

Neuer, who performed heroics to keep his team in the tie in the first leg was unable to repeat his goalkeeping heroics at Old Trafford.

"Again, this wasn't our day today. It was the same performance as the first leg and that's hard. We needed to show a top performance to beat United and reach the final but we didn't succeed," the keeper told Sky after the game.

The Germany No. 1 also refused to concede that Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to rest players had an impact on the match.

"We can't talk about Manchester [United] playing a 'B' team. They have included players who would be in the first teams of Bundesliga clubs.

"We have had a great season in the Champions League and we reached the semi-final. We can be proud of this but we need to forget the games againt Manchester United," he added.

There has been much speculation in regards to Neuer's future but the player himself refused to talk about it despite admitting he wants to play Champions League football next season.

"I don't want to talk about my future now. The Champions League is a great plateau and I want to play in it again next season," Neuer concluded.

Schalke are currently 10th in the Bundesliga and unable to qualify for next term's Champions League with Neuer's comments a further indication of his desire to leave the club.

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Jose Mourinho has damaged Real Madrid

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes Jose Mourinho has damaged the reputation of the club with his comments and actions following their elimination at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League. 

Madrid were dumped from Europe following the 1-1 draw at Camp Nou (3-1 on aggregate), in a game in which Mourinho was not present following his sending off last week.

Plenty of growls followed the first-leg, with both Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo suggesting there were sinister forces working against their team. 

The coach was filmed by Spanish media making a hand gesture on their return from last night's game, suggesting they had been robbed.

Calderon is not impressed by the talk, nor by Madrid's wavering form, and he believes the mess has stemmed from Mourinho's ruling circle.

"To talk like that has been harmful for Real Madrid," Calderon told BBC Sport. "Big clubs should not blame the referee for their mistakes or their defeats.

"We invested £400 million in the last two years to be a very important and strong team so if you lose you cannot blame injuries, bad luck, referees or nothing. 

"If you lose you have to congratulate the rival and that is all. What he did in terms of talking about Uefa and referees is not acceptable at all," Calderon concluded.

17.14 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brilliant Barcelona have their ugly side too

It was the biggest stage of all; a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. And while the opening act may have been dreary, the finale was sublime. Amid the drama, Lionel Messi stole the show with a thrilling encore and the Argentine was hailed for his majestic play. But there was plenty of theatre too from Barcelona.

As the curtain drew back for the third instalment of this epic four-part series, the cast lined up – 11 against 11: the protagonists. There was tragedy and comedy; there were heroes and villains; there was drama and even horror. But above all, there was plenty of acting.

Messi, as so often before, was the hero, rescuing a poor script with a stunning late cameo which included both of his side’s goals – the second of which would have made a fitting finale to any blockbuster. The Argentina forward danced his way past four Madrid defenders as if they were mere extras before slotting home the showpiece. The credits followed, all for the Argentine: a box office hit. 

But earlier, there had been a villain too. That was Pepe, who was dismissed for a violent lunge on Dani Alves. With his shaved head, his piercing glare and evil stare, Pepe looked the part: he was the perfect baddie. Or was he? A rerun showed that Alves had thrown himself theatrically to the ground; there had been no contact. Opinions differ as to whether the red card was justified or not, but either way, Alves’ role was key. The Brazilian had fooled the gallery and, more importantly, the director: referee Wolfgang Stark. The supporting cast, made up of Alves’ team-mates, quickly surrounded the German. That was his prompt: Pepe saw red. Alves played dead and left on a stretcher, but was back in character two minutes later and sprinting up and down the pitch.

Only in the movies can such miraculous recoveries be witnessed – or on stage. In earlier scenes, both Pedro and Sergio Busquets had hurled themselves to the ground, clutching their faces when contact had occurred elsewhere or indeed been minimal. This was play-acting of the highest order, but of the lowest level: amateur dramatics. And Barca, the self-styled purists, looked anything but pure. Thespians, perhaps; artistry, this was not. 

Cheating in theatrical terms is the practice of turning one’s body towards the audience even while keeping the head facing one’s scene partner. But Barcelona’s players made sure their bodies were thrown on to the turf, with their faces strategically covered by their hands, writhing in agony, surrounding the official and alluding to vicious crimes. This may not be their favourite or most well-known part and they may not be the worst exponents of the genre, but Barca have played this role before. And their players knew only too well that a carefully-staged performance would see the referee eventually call time on the evening for one of Madrid’s players on Wednesday. Stark duly read the script. 

If Barca’s players were the protagonists, though, Madrid proved the antagonist. Jose Mourinho’s men played their own part in ruining Wednesday’s game as a spectacle; aside from their ultra-negative tactics, there was foul play from Pepe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Marcelo – with theatrics too from the Brazilian – and more melodrama from Cristiano Ronaldo. Mourinho later complained of Barca’s role in the ugly scenes at the Santiago Bernabeu and Madrid have reported Pep Guardiola’s side to Uefa for unsporting conduct. The Catalans claim their innocence, but their acting – Mourinho hopes – will speak louder than their words.

But the Portuguese, never one to shun the limelight, will do well to remember the conduct of his own players – now and in the past. For Pepe, Marcelo and Ronaldo now, read Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole at Chelsea, or any number of his players at Inter and Porto. Flashbacks of the Champions League semi-final with Porto against Deportivo La Coruna in 2004 or the UEFA Cup final versus Celtic a year earlier, to name but two examples in which his sides used gamesmanship and play-acting to gain an advantage, seem to have been erased from his memory – like deleted scenes on a DVD.

Barca’s story is hypocritical, too. The Catalan club preaches family values; they claim their football is universal – suitable for all. But not only is parental guidance needed, often the action is X-rated material. And while their performances may be easy on the eye and worthy of praise, they can also leave a sour aftertaste.

Good guys like Carles Puyol and Xavi feature heavily, but there are also villains in the piece such as Alves and Busquets, and plenty of special effects – not to mention artistic licence, trickery and deceit. Luckily for them, Messi’s monologue ensured critical acclaim on Wednesday night. But for all their pretty play, Barca showed once again they have a dark and ugly side too: Beauty and the beast.

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Disciplinary cases opened against Real Madrid and Barcelona by UEFA

UEFA has opened disciplinary cases against Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona following the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.

 

Following last night's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona, UEFA has opened the following disciplinary cases against the clubs.

The case against Real Madrid is in relation to the throwing of missiles, a pitch invasion, the red card shown to Pepe, the dismissal of coach José Mourinho, as well as the inappropriate statement given by Mr Mourinho to the media after the match (UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, Article 5 – Principles of conduct).

The case against Barcelona regards the red card administered to José Pinto.

Both cases will be heard by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body on Friday 6 May.

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Madrid lost by Messi magic

FC Barcelona took a giant stride towards a second UEFA Champions League final in three seasons after Lionel Messi struck twice in the final 15 minutes, the second a memorable solo strike, to earn victory at ten-man Real Madrid CF.

The third game between these eternal rivals in less than a fortnight proved just as intense as the first two, the balance tipping decisively in Barça's favour a minute past the hour when Pepe's dismissal left Madrid a man short. Messi made them pay with two late goals, touching in a low cross from substitute Ibrahim Afellay to break the deadlock and then slaloming his way past four players to score a second that leaves Madrid with it all to do at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Despite Saturday's 6-3 win at Valencia CF, coach José Mourinho opted to revert to the more defensive tactics that brought Madrid a 1-1 Liga draw and a Copa del Rey triumph against Barça in the first two instalments of this four-part contest. Xavi Hernández and Cristiano Ronaldo warmed the gloves of Iker Casillas and Víctor Valdés respectively early on but it was the visitors who took control as they sought to break through a stubborn Madrid rearguard.

With ten minutes on the clock, David Villa – who ended an eleven-game scoreless streak against CA Osasuna at the weekend – came close to finding the net again after stealing in from the right to send a shot flying just past Casillas's far post from the edge of the area. Josep Guardiola's side fashioned another opening through the middle with half-time approaching, Messi squeezing past the combined challenge of Xabi Alonso and Raúl Albiol before slipping a low pass through for Xavi whose shot was parried by Casillas.

As the teams went off for the break, Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper José Pinto was sent off following an incident involving a number of players from both sides. Mourinho introduced Emmanuel Adebayor at the restart and immediately Madrid's attack looked more muscular, Ronaldo going close from an Alonso free-kick before firing over from a set piece of his own.

Madrid's momentum was checked in the 61st minute when Pepe was shown a red card for a high challenge on Daniel Alves, Mourinho being sent to the stands for his own protests. Barcelona quickly regained the upper hand, Villa bringing the best out of Casillas after cutting in from the left.

Messi then took over, although his first goal owed much to Afellay, the substitute exploiting a Marcelo slip to advance into the penalty area and provide a cross that was steered in at the near post for Messi's tenth goal in this season's competition. The Argentinian needed little help for his 11th three minutes from time, collecting a pass from Sergio Busquets just inside the Madrid half and racing past four defenders before slotting past the exposed Casillas.

In addition to Pepe, Madrid will also be without Sergio Ramos – booked early in the second half – in Barcelona next week. The Catalan club, meanwhile, are within touching distance of another final, possibly a repeat of the 2009 showpiece against Manchester United FC.

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Barcelona consider reporting Jose Mourinho to UEFA

Barcelona are considering reporting Jose Mourinho to Uefa after the Portuguese coach's post-match words made in light of Real Madrid's 2-0 Champions League semi-final defeat.

The club's lawyers are studying Mourinho's comments, with the Catalan club looking to forward a complaint to Uefa if they find remarks that they deem worthy of action.

Representatives from the club have confirmed to EFE that board members will meet up with the team's lawyers to "examine the contents of the press conference" to see if their are grounds for an official complaint to the controlling body of European football.

In an explosive post-match press-conference Mourinho said: "Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he won a Champions League which would shame me. I don't know if it's the power of [Spanish FA president Angel] Villar within UEFA, or UNICEF but I don't understand."

The two sides meet again for the second leg next week at Camp Nou, with Mourinho set to view the game from the stands after being dismissed from the touchline in the first leg loss.

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Raul Gonzales-Anything can happen in the second-leg against Manchester United

Schalke striker Raul is adamant that everything is possible in the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Manchester United.

The former Real Madrid's star’s comments come after the German side were defeated 2-0 by United at the Veltins Arena on Tuesday evening.

However, Raul, who has won the Champions League on three occasions with Madrid, believes that the German outfit can still reach the final of Europe's elite club competition.

"In the return leg, everything is possible. We do not know what will happen, a penalty to us, a sending off for them [Manchester United]. Nothing is impossible in football," the 33-year-old told reporters after the match.
"We expected a different result, another outcome to the game but we are still happy because we played to our level. The problem was that Manchester [United] played at another level.

"The only regrets we have are that we did not create enough scoring chances and that we conceded two goals in two minutes. Reaching the semi-finals for this club has given the supporters a great sense of pride. We tried everything, the fans realise this, and we were warmly applauded after the game.

The second-leg could be Raul's last match in the competition with Schalke currently 10th in the Bundesliga and out of the running for a Champions League spot. However, the striker is not upset about this possible prospect.

"To play my last [Champions League] game at Old Trafford? It would not hurt,” the Spaniard stated. “We really want to finish showing our qualities and giving a good image of ourselves against a big side in a big stadium with a brilliant atmosphere.”

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