UEFA Champions League 2008-2009

Barca were beautiful. They played brilliant football born from the vision of Guardiola. The players executed the tactics very well and it resulted in FC Barcelona running the ball around in patterns leaving Manchester with a tough chance of entering the match.

The Catalan side blessed us all with beautiful football and they did it in the final. They did what they've done this season. They displayed it in the final.

The treble for Barca underscores that beautiful football is rewarded when it is blended with a focused defensive tactic.

It was a beautiful night. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Originally Posted by GeoTav

So, with the best midfielder in the world, and two of the best midfielders in the world (Ballack from your point of view + Essien from my point of view), this team can't win CL ?

Amazing ...

Kaka the best player of the world and Gattuso and Pirlo 2 of the best midfielders of the world, yet ACM didn't qualify for the CL last year.

Amazing ...

Lampard is a very good player, nothing more.
Ballack is a good player, overrated.

Actually you are confused b/w Lampard and Gerrard. Its actually Gerrard a very good player, nothing more, overrated. Frank Lampard is THE BEST in his position whether you like it or not.
As for Ballack, yes he hasn't been at his best at Chelsea. But I think just like Zidane (WC 2006) and Figo (Euro 2004 & WC 2006), he is at a stage of his career where keeps his best performances for the big matches and tournaments. Week in week out matches become less important for great players when they are 30+. We are talking about the Captain of German National team for God sake. Spain deserved to win Euro 2008, but the player of the tournament was not Xavi Hernandez, it was Michael Ballack. The world would see the best of Ballack in WC 2010. Remember his heroics of Ballack from QF match of WC 2006 vs Argentina?

Originally Posted by Christian

With the best midfield in the world they can't get a passing % over 60 and get more than 30% possession??

Thats another point. Barca were the TEAM of 2008-2009, so they won. That doesn't make Lampard and Ballack inferior to Xavi and Iniesta. Even Messi played badly. But if you remember, all goal scoring opportunities of CFC came form Lampard & if it wasn't for the chances being missed by the disgraceful Drogba and pathetic Anelka, CFC would have won the game 3-1 or 4-1.

One more thing about the greatness of Frank Lampard. I haven't seen him playing a bad for the last 5 years now, the fact the he hasn't got the fake publicity of media, doesn't make him an ordinary player. 18 goals this season from the midfield says it all and ending the season with stunning winner in the FA Cup final

If AC Milan had Frank Lampard in the midfield instead of Seedorf or Ambrosini for the past 5 years, our trophy collection would have also included the UCL 2004, 2005 & 2006 and the Scudetti 2005 and 2006