Barca progressed through to their third Champions League final in six years after a 1-1 draw at a rain-drenched Nou Camp saw them record a 3-1 aggregate victory over their arch rivals Madrid, and they will face Manchester United at Wembley.
Like the first leg though, Tuesday night's clash was not without controversy with Madrid, having seen Pepe sent off in the first meeting, again left fuming by a refereeing decision after official Frank de Bleeckere ruled out a Gonzalo Higuain goal when the match was still 0-0.
 |
| Daniel Alves, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano and manager Josep Guardiola doing some intensive training before the final at Wembley in may. |
That decision, which followed Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's insinuations following the first leg that Barca receive favourable treatment from referees, dominated the front pages of Madrid-based sports dailies Marca and AS.
Marca's headline read: 'It was mission impossible', echoing a comment from Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo following the match.
The Red Devils booked their place in the 28th May showpiece at Wembley with a 6-1 aggregate destruction of sorry Schalke, triumphing 4-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg with goals from Antonio Valencia, Darron Gibson and Anderson's brace.
Ferguson made a host of changes to his starting XI with one eye firmly on Sunday's crucial Premier League showdown with Chelsea and was not disappointed by the display of his squad players.
Wembley holds special memories for both United and Barca as it is the venue where both clubs lifted their first European Cup, in 1968 and 1992, respectively, and the clash is a repeat of the 2009 showdown in Rome, which the Catalan club won 2-0.
No comments:
Post a Comment