Barcelona can capture their second UEFA Champions League crown in four years and third continental title if they beat defending champions Manchester United on May 27, 2009 in Rome. If Manchester United can win their fourth title, they would be the first to repeat since AC Milan won the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1989 and 1990.
Past Titles
Manchester United are shooting for their fourth European crown. ManU won the 1968 European Champion Clubs' Cup before taking the 1999 and 2008 Champions League crowns. Barcelona won their first European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1992 and then collected the Champions League trophy in 2006.
Manchester United Season In Review
Alex Ferguson's United went undefeated in the first group stage to finish atop Group E with 10 points from six matches, including four draws - two of those scoreless contests against second placed Villareal. ManU knocked off Internazionale Milano 2-0 in the first knockout round before beating Porto 3-2 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Manchester won the first leg at home 1-0 before beating Arsenal 3-1 in London for a 4-1 aggregate victory to advance to their fourth final.
Barcelona Season In Review
Barcelona had to reach the Champions League through the qualifying rounds. Josep Guardiola's team brushed off Wisla Krakow 4-1 on aggregate after a 4-0 first leg win at home in the third qualifying round. The Spanish giants finished first in Group C with 13 points from six matches. They collected four wins and a draw to start the group - including 3-1 and 5-2 victories over eventual second-placed Sporting before losing 3-2 at home against eventual UEFA Cup finalists Shakhtar Donetsk. Barca cruised past Lyon 6-3 on aggregate in the first knockout round. In the quarter-finals, Barcelona thrashed Bayern Munich 4-0 in the first leg before winning 5-1 on aggregate. The semi-final showdown with Chelsea proved very dramatic. After a 0-0 first leg draw in Spain, Andres Iniesta hit a goal three minutes into injury time to equalise 1-1 and win the tie on away goals to reach their sixth European final.
Tenth Meeting Between ManU-Barca
The final will be the tenth meeting between Manchester United and Barcelona. United have three victories, while Barca have two wins and there have been four draws. The most recent match-up was last season's semi-final in which Manchester United won the return leg 1-0 to take the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
Fourth European Cup Final For Stadio Olimpico
Rome's Stadio Olimpico will be staging its fourth European Cup final. Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in the 1977 final. Liverpool then beat Roma 1-1 (4-2 on penalties in 1984. And Juventus knocked off Ajax 1-1 (4-2 on penalties) for the 1996 title.
Missing Players
Three players will be suspended for the final. Manchester United will have to do without Darren Fletcher while Barcelona will be without Eric Abidal and Dani Alves.
Repeat Champions
There have been eight teams to notch successive title in Europe's elite club competition. They are Real Madrid (1956-60), Benfica (1961-62), Internazionale (1964-65), Ajax Amsterdam (1971-73), Bayern Munich (1974-76) Liverpool (1977-78), Nottingham Forest (1979-80) and AC Milan (1989-90).
Guardiola Looks For Title As Player, Coach
With Barcelona victory, coach Josep Guardiola would become the sixth person to win the European Cup as a player and coach. He was a part of the 1992 Barcelona team to beat Sampdoria 1-0. The others are Miguel Muñoz (player with Real Madrid 1956,1957; coach with Madrid 1960, 1966); Giovanni Trapattoni, (with Milan 1963, 1969; with Juventus 1985); Johan Cruyff (with AFC Ajax 1971, 1972, 1973; with Barcelona 1992); Carlo Ancelotti (with Milan 1989, 1990; with Milan 2003); Frank Rijkaard (with Milan 1989, 1990, with Ajax 1995; with Barcelona 2006).
United Look To Stay Undefeated
United are in the middle of a record 25-match unbeaten streak. And with a victory, Ferguson's men would win the European Cup without losing a match for the third time. Ajax (1972 and 1995), Liverpool (1981 and 1984), and Milan (1989 and 1994) were unbeaten champions twice.
