By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, May 25 - Alex Ferguson's "dream final" in
Wednesday's Champions League showdown (1845 GMT) could be a
nightmare for Barcelona if Manchester United smother the
Spaniards and seal victory on the counter-attack.
It is hardly the scenario the neutrals are hoping for but
Ferguson knows the best chance of United becoming the first team
to retain the title in the Champions League era is to frustrate
his free-scoring opponents at every turn.
They did it a year ago, shutting out Barcelona twice in a
1-0 aggregate semi-final victory, and would have taken heart
from the way Chelsea kept them at bay for more than 120 minutes
in the semis before Andres Iniesta's stoppage-time strike.
Ferguson admires Barcelona's approach and has shown his own
commitment to exciting football by regularly starting with
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov as an
attacking trio.
However, the vastly experienced Scot knows that great teams
are built from the back and the key to unlocking your own
weapons is to neutralise the opponents.
"They get you on that carousel and can leave you dizzy," he
said of Barcelona's mesmerising passing game.
"Your concentration levels can't be allowed to falter for a
second. But, with the right tactics, their game is containable."
United's defence has been magnificent this season and,
assuming Rio Ferdinand is fit to line up in the middle alongside
Nemanja Vidic, it should be at full strength.
HARD MIDFIELD
It is United's hard-working midfield, though, which has
helped limit the rest of the Premier League to just 24 goals
against them.
In the Champions League they let in only three in the group
stage and four in six knockout games against Inter Milan, Porto
and Arsenal.
The non-stop running of Park Ji-sung and the game-reading
of Michael Carrick provide a first line of defence that would
make any back four look good.
"The way Barcelona play, they can have the ball for a long
time and you've just got to be patient, defend well and
concentrate. It's quite a bit of a mental battle," said Carrick.
"Against Barcelona you shut up, as Chelsea showed, and then
attack them at the right time."
United have perfected the art of sucking teams in then
striking on the break, a tactic shown at its best when Ronaldo
started and finished, after a lung-bursting 60 metre sprint,
their marvellous third goal in the semi-final win at Arsenal.
LOOK VULNERABLE
That is exactly the sort of thing Ferguson will be looking
for on Wednesday, particularly as Barcelona look vulnerable at
the back after the suspension of Eric Abidal and Dani Alves and
the injury that has ruled out Rafael Marquez.
Manager Pep Guardiola, who rested almost all his first team
for Saturday's 1-0 league defeat by Osasuna, is also sweating on
the fitness of Iniesta and Thierry Henry.
Like United, Barcelona have sown up their league title with
time to spare and both have also claimed a domestic cup.
But also like United, who suffer in comparison with
Liverpool's European exploits, the Spaniards desperately crave
the European Cup that they have won just twice in comparison
with Real Madrid's nine.
They will go about that task with patience in Rome, backing
their approach and looking for the relentless probing of Iniesta
and Xavi to eventually prize an opening that Henry, Messi or
Samuel Eto'o will be able to seize upon.
Eto'o, who did play on Saturday in a bid to find his 30th
league goal of the campaign, summed up the team's approach.
"We've scored 150 goals this season," he said. "For a
striker there is no better place to be than this Barcelona."
(Editing by Ed Osmond, To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)