When the referee pointed to the spot in the 2nd minute of the match, it looked like we are about to witness an entertaining match, with a lot of attacking football and scoring chances. Unfortunately, the spectators were the only ones thinking so, as both teams did their best not to score.
To be perfectly honest, the dull match was a result of a deadly combination. On one side, there were Barcelona, who possessed the ball for most of the match, but lacked the quality to create real scoring chances. Barcelona?! Lacking quality?! Well, it seems that big names are not enough when coping with a strong defensive line, such as Manchester United’s. The Spaniards passed the ball, moved it from the left flank to the right, but couldn’t find a way in, as Samuel Eto’o had no impact on the match.
But Barcelona at least tried, while Manchester United put a lot of bodies behind the ball and just prayed for the match to end. They didn’t even take the penalty miss too badly, as their main goal was not conceding rather then scoring.
So Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown placed the barricades and Manchester United defended with 8 players, leaving Barcelona no chance of squeezing a pass in. Obviously, this left Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney frustrated up front.
We can’t see this happening again at Old Trafford on Tuesday. These sides are just too strong and talented to repeat such a lackluster performance. Unfortunately for Barcelona, they are in worse shape than Manchester. The Catalan find it hard to score, not to mention winning, as they are located 3rd in the La Liga. These problems, alongside with the turmoil in the dressing room, make Barcelona a dead team walking.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have to use this match as a way to boost themselves after their last disappointing performances. Backed by their home crowd and with Ronaldo in the starting lineup, they are by far the better team and they will take advantage of Barcelona’s shaky defense. They ought to, as losing this one will probably drag a disappointment in the Premiership as well. Sir Alex made some dreadful mistakes at Stamford Bridge, which cost him the match. We are quite certain he will not make these mistakes again.
BetUknow Predictions
Manchester United are the clear favorites for this match, as both Barcelona and Manchester United’s top predictors put their faith in the Red Devils. The community, however, is not that certain, and although Manchester get more votes, about 30% believe that a draw is in order.
Preview by BetUKnow.
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