This week's European games were absent of any sort of drama, with each of the four sides going through without much controversy. Manchester United will meet Barcelona in the Champions League final, after defeating Schalke 6-1 on aggregate. The Catalans took out Real Madrid 3-1. The Europa League final features two Portuguese sides, domestic champions FC Porto and Braga.
Manchester United's easy victory over Schalke, with almost a second-string side, marked the squad's depth and overall quality. While resting many of their starters, United was able to defeat a hapless Schalke 4-1 to finish the tie. Barcelona also went through cleanly, despite a Real goal being wrongly disallowed, with a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp. The tie is a rematch of the 2009 final, where goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a comfortable 2-0 victory. This year's final features many of the same players, but you have to feel as if Barcelona have improved, and Manchester United have taken a step back. If United do win the Premier League this year, it will be with one of the lowest point totals for a champion in Premier League history. They have been in good form of late, and Rooney is always dangerous, but without Ronaldo, this team does not have the tantalizing nature that it did in 2008 and 2009. Their record away from home is also pedestrian, and while they have impressed in Europe, they have not faced an opponent anything like Barcelona. The one team in England who plays the closest style of football is Arsenal, who defeated Manchester United 1-0 last weekend. Meanwhile, Barcelona has seen many of their current players win the Champions League, World Cup, and La Liga titles. The addition of David Villa provides another dimension for United's back four to worry about. The midfield battle will be key in this matchup, as United must prevent Barcelona's midfield from imposing itself on the game. This game will likely be dominated possession-wise by the Spaniards, and United will have to take the chances they get to have a real hope. Unless they perform exceptionally well in front of goal, United will likely succumb to Barcelona for the second time in three years. I haven't even needed to go into Lionel Messi and his fifty-four goals this season. A 2-0 or 3-1 scoreline looks likeliest here. It should be an exciting game though, and you never know for sure in a European final.
The Europa League final features the current Portuguese champions, FC Porto, and Sporting Braga. Braga have not won silverware in forty-five years, while Porto are always in the mix domestically and in Europe. Porto will be huge favorites here, boasting an unbeaten domestic record and the competition's leading scorer, Falcao. Braga will be hoping to hit Porto on the break, as their stellar defensive record in the competition shows. It's difficult to see anything but a comfortable Porto win here. Porto defeated Braga 3-2 at home and 2-0 away in the league this season, and boast the experience to win the final. A 2-0 or 3-0 victory for Porto is a strong possibility.
Sunday is the game of my season, when Chelsea head up to Manchester to face United, needing a win to take first place on goal difference. Anyone who would like to join me in watching (and root for Chelsea) is welcome to do so! Recap of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment