Is the 2009 final between and Manchester United one of the most important games in football history? Gary Neville certainly seems to think so. The full-back was captain at the time and watched the match from the stands due to concerns over his fitness. The two sides came into the match in considerable form.
Barcelona were at the end of their first season under Pep Guardiola and had already won La Liga and the Copa del Rey. The Catalan coach has transformed them into an unbeatable force. But they were facing a strong United side who had just retained the trophy for the third straight season and were the reigning European champions at the time.
The Red Devils even defeated Barca en route to lifting the trophy one year earlier. However, impact on the club was both immediate and seismic. was under no illusions that his team faced a difficult task in Rome, and the match was one for the ages.
United started the match well, with threatening to score on two occasions. But by the 10th minute, Ferguson’s men found themselves a goal down as Samuel Eto’o steered the ball past Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona then dominated a large part of the match and effectively killed the game off with 20 minutes left on the clock when rose high to score a rare header.
It was a masterful performance from Guardiola’s Barcelona, who would eventually cement their status as arguably the best club side the world has ever seen. Very rarely had United been beaten so convincingly during Ferguson's reign. It.
