It was all set to be a night of gladiators as the finals of the UEFA Champions league headed to the Olympic stadium Rome. The historic resonance of the eternal city was an appropriate setting for the biggest night of the European football calendar. It was a night for heroes and the Barcelona squad proved tailor made for the role.
The first ten minutes of the match saw Manchester United laying siege to the Barcelona eighteen with Portuguese striker Ronaldo going close on a couple of occasions and it looked like it was not going to be Barcelona’s day. How quick things can change in football.
A fast break by the Spanish champions saw the ball moving quickly through the midfield up to Andres Iniesta who quickly fed the ball through to Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o. Eto’o was wide on the left, but in a sudden burst he cut inside jinking passed Manchester United defender Nejman Vidic leaving the big defender floundering and then coolly toe-poked the ball passed Edwin Van Der Saar taking Barcelona ahead against the run of play.
Once Eto’o had scored the tempo and flow of the game changed with Barcelona surging into the ascendency and completely dictating its progress. Chance after chance game their way but Barcelona failed to convert with Thierry Henry and Carlos Puyol the worst offenders.
As the match progressed despite being comprehensively outplayed Manchester United fans held onto the memories of their 1999 final against Bayern Munich where they overturned a 1-0 deficit with minutes to go, but 10 years on the miracle was not to repeat itself.
Puyol broke down a Manchester United attack which commenced a series of passes finishing off with a graceful chip from Xavi Hernandez met by a delightful header from Lionel Messi. The header from the 5 foot seven inch Messi was so well positioned, so well executed that Van Der Saar could only watch in admiration as it floated past him for the second Barcelona goal.
And so it was that Barcelona came, saw and conquered as they add the Champions League win to their local double of the Spanish League and Cup. It has also been a memorable season for Eto’o have scored his 100th La Liga goal earlier this year and secured a spot in history as one of the top five scorers in Barcelona’s history.