• Champions League

Ferguson ready for mighty Barcelona

ESPNsoccernet staff
May 4, 2011
Darron Gibson vindicated Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to rest his star players with one eye on Chelsea © PA Photos
Enlarge

Sir Alex Ferguson guided his Manchester United side into the Champions League final, and then confessed he must find a way to beat "the team of the moment".

United demolished Schalke 4-1 at Old Trafford to advance from the semi-finals 6-1 on aggregate thanks to goals from Antonio Valencia, Darron Gibson and Anderson(2). They now face Barcelona, who beat the Red Devils in the 2009 final.

Showered with talent such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, United will have their work cut out to shackle the most formidable attack in European football. And Ferguson confessed he is a fan of Pep Guardiola's side.

"They are the team of the moment, no question about that. The football they play, it's a pleasure to watch," Ferguson told ITV. "The semi-final [between Barcelona and Real Madrid] was unfortunate, you expected a lot better, but we're in the final, and we'll prepare properly."

Ferguson rested the majority of his first-team squad against Schalke, starting only three of the players who lined up at Arsenal over the weekend. The United boss confessed it took a lot of courage to leave the likes of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand out of the matchday squad.

"I didn't sleep last night thinking about it. I woke up about four times and picked different teams! But they did me proud, and when you analyse each player individually, you say to yourself, 'this is a Manchester United player, why can't I play him?'

"A semi-final does create a bit of doubt in your mind, but I'm glad we were vindicated."

Now Ferguson expects United to improve their European record, which currently shows that they have won the European Cup three times, twice less than Liverpool.

"We should have done better in Europe over the years, but we're getting closer to doing that. We can win the cup. It's a team of desire and determination, allied to ability. This club has created destiny many times."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices