Underdogs? - Why second favourite will suit United

It’s not often you’d find yourself in a situation that put Manchester United down as a clear second favourite, but that’s Barcelona’s dominance of the European game for you. Barcelona have scored more goals in just La Liga than Manchester United have done in all competitions combined. They’ve conceded almost half as many goals as United have. It should be a no-brainer as to who’s lifting that trophy on Saturday night. But it isn’t.

People have complained all season long about how Sir Alex Ferguson’s current crop isn’t like those of the past in terms of free-flowing football and scoring goals for fun. I agree in part, but it’s not something worth complaining about. In fact, I’m going to go as far as saying it’s just that fact that will bring the Champions League trophy back to Manchester.

When the two sides met in Rome two years ago, it was built up as a battle of two titans. Not the clubs, mind you. It was all about Ronaldo vs Messi; and that was what led to United’s downfall. Ronaldo had become bigger than the club. It was like the other Ronaldo from 1998. He never turned up. Ferguson had built the team of 2008-09 around Cristiano Ronaldo. He was the focal point of everything United did. The occasion was, perhaps too big for him, and everything United tried to do collapsed like the proverbial flan-in-a-cupboard.

This year, however, is different. This isn’t about one man. Certainly not for Manchester United. Even with Barca’s divine attacking quintuplet, it’s still Lionel Messi who makes all the headlines. This year’s Manchester United team is exactly that - a team. One that turns up with the goods when the occasion demands it. From sources up and down the team-sheet.

For United, it comes down, as Darshan put it, to “impeding Barcelona through Wembley’s Flanks”. Everything good about United, and perhaps this is the only similarity you could draw to the teams of years gone by, has come from the wide areas. The return of Antonio Valencia and Ji Sung Park has been a breathe of fresh air. Both are workhorses, but extremely intelligent footballers at the same time. Patrice Evra, on his day, is as good as any left-back can get, and Fergie has finally been able to replace the painfully clumsy O'Shea and Brown with the brothers Da Silva. The twins may be inexperienced, but have the ability to take defenses apart with their work down the flanks. They’re not too bad in the tackle either.

Fergie does face an interesting conundrum. Does he choose to take the game to Barcelona by starting with Rooney and Hernandez, or attempt to stifle them by packing the midfield and playing on the break? Both have pros and cons, and I’d hate to be the one who has to make that decision. (I’d secretly prefer to see the gung-ho approach. Shhh…)

I think Ferguson will take it as an insult to be made such a clear underdog in this game, and the players will share that. I think we’ll see a fired up Manchester United take to the field at Wembley. I think United will take the game to Barca and beat them without having to kick them out of the game in the literal sense. I think the Flying Dutchman will be immense between the sticks for his final bow with United. As far as Barca are concerned, there’s quite simply no denying their quality. But I quote Carlton Palmer from the Ten Sports panel (it almost shames me to do this, but it’s the first time the man has ever made sense) - Seeing off Madrid may well have been Barcelona’s Champions League final. Will they be equally up for the game at Wembley? Will it be a role reversal of two years ago? Who knows? I can’t wait for Saturday night, and in case I haven’t made myself clear enough, my prediction is thus - Manchester United’s grit, work ethic and experience will overcome Barca’s flowing football; and when things aren’t going Barca’s way, we’ll see them on the floor, because that’s how they roll. Get it? Roll?