A Son of the Rock

Champions League Final, Wembley Stadium, 28/5/11

Apart from the first ten minutes there didn’t look to be a chance of one team (United) winning, since Barcelona were so much in control. Even the equaliser didn’t change anything: all that did was restore the status quo ante. Had United scored first things might have been different.

Barcelona reminded me a bit of playground bullies who would snaffle your ball and just play about with it among themselves. It’s unfair really. Give the other side a chance, can’t you?

The result was we did not witness a classic. I doubt I’ll remember this by the end of next week.

A memorable football match requires both sides to be on a more or less even footing, for both to be in with a shout. When one side is dominant, all the tension, the necessary uncertainty, is drained away. We are left with a steamroller, remorselessly flattening the opposition.

Barney Ronay in The Guardian put forward a similar view on Saturday.

The Barcelona juggernaut is impressive. But somehow it manages to remove all the excitement.