Barcelona v Man Utd: Scoreline Tip

With these two teams having met in the 2009 final it seems a good starting point to compare how the sides have progressed in the past two years. On that occasion the Spanish champions eased to a pretty comfortable 2-0 victory in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. An early goal from Samuel Eto’o set the tone and Alex Ferguson had notably few complaints after Lionel Messi added a decisive second after 70 minutes.

The general consensus seems to be that the Catalans are even more formidable in 2011, while Manchester United are coping admirably with a period of transition. Barcelona no longer have Eto’o or Henry - both now the wrong side of 30 - instead they have Villa and Pedro supporting the mesmeric Messi. The Argentine was already a superstar back then, but he has moved up another level at 23-years-old. His goal return is on the rise with 38 in 2008-9, 47 last campaign and 52 so far this season. His 24 assists are also a personal best.

The worries for United clearly don’t end there. This is no one man team; Spanish World Cup winners Xavi and Iniesta, along with Messi, comprise the top three players in the world according to the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Pep Guardiola has a settled starting line-up that is brimming with style and substance.

The English champions have plenty of winners and experience of their own but they clearly lack the sparkle of their opponents. Having come up short with Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in their ranks in 2009, it’s hard to see a better outcome without them this time round.  Skybet offer 5/1 on Barcelona repeating their two goal margin of victory at Wembley and this seems about right. However, we can find better value by targeting a likely scoreline.

The bookies think 2-0 or 2-1 to the Spaniards is likely and offer the shorter odds to match. However, at 18/1 with Coral, Barcelona to win 3-1 definitely provides us with our best value bet. If United find themselves behind, they are bound to come out fighting. The likes of Rooney and Hernandez are liable to have some joy, but the Spanish champions should capitalise on a game that opens up. They can ultimately claim the Champions League trophy with something to spare.