Champions League Final 2011: Barcelona vs United.

Barcelona approach the Champions League final with almost acute tactical certainty and will undoubtedly adopt their de-facto 4-3-3 formation, or closer to a 3-2-2-1-2, in terms of average positions. Moreover, nine players are certain starters for the Catalan club: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa and Messi. Indeed, it would be ten, had Carlos Puyol not spent much of the season side-lined and perhaps a full eleven, were it not for Eric Abidal having a tumour removed from his liver just two months ago.

Guardiola has two decisions to make in personal: left-back and centre-back.

Carlos Puyol is traditionally preferred at centre-back, but it seems increasingly plausible that Javier Mascherano will be utilised there by Guardiola. The Argentinian defensive-midfielder has, as yet, been unable to thrive in the engine room of the Catalan team, but has shown an ability to stick aggressively to the tasks required at the heart of the defence – he played there against Real Madrid in the semi-final.

The player Guardiola chooses alongside Pique at centre-back is unlikely to be one that affects the dynamic of the team, but the decision at left-back may well do: it could determine David Villa and Pedro’s nominal starting positions.

Should Guardiola prioritise his team’s attacking play over their defensive, it is likely he will select one from Abidal, Adriano or Maxwell, since their greater propensity to overlap would assist David Villa, most comfortable cutting inside onto his right foot when played from the left – the space would be useful to him. Pedro, by comparison, is far more the traditional winger and operates as such, whichever the flank.

Whilst, if Puyol or Mascherano start at left-back, it is possible Villa and Pedro could trade flanks for the kick-off. Of course, Barcelona’s front players will continually revolve into different positions, seeking to befuddle the opposition with movement. The system and style is second-nature to Barcelona, but an attacking challenge for them on Saturday will be to ensure they have players able to get around both sides of United’s defence.

Although regardless of fine-tuning, with the brilliance of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta whirling perpetually around the central attacking third and a one-man right-flank in Dani Alves, the questions this Barcelona pose are harder to solve than those from any other team for almost twenty years.

While, the left-hand side of Barcelona’s team may be the only decisive question they have to answer, trying to establish Manchester United’s eleven and formation is a far more convoluted process. The only en bloc certainty is that United will start with a back five, comprised of Van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand and Vidic, for four; Rafael and Fabio the choices at right-back.

Sir Alex Ferguson has seemed unwilling to commit to a first eleven all season, or more specifically, he does not have a first eleven. The club does not exist on an ideologue like their Catalan counterparts, despite a long-held affection for 4-4-2, something that the manager shares.

The Scot has shuffled his pack all season, seeking to ensure that players do not reach levels of exhaustion, but also so that the squad remain involved. However, it has also been useful in ensuring that opposition managers remain uncertain in the tactics or players they may face and this is likely to include Guardiola.

Although United’s performance against Chelsea set a high benchmark for the use of a 4-4-2 - with Hernandez and Rooney starting together upfront - Barcelona are a different proposition, they lack a player as immobile as Frank Lampard, most pointedly. A centre midfield of Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick versus one consisting of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta would seem to be a catch-weight contest.

United’s manager has inferred that he possesses an answer to the Barcelona conundrum [having learned in Rome]. It seems most likely that this would involve utilising two players in the central area, both of whom would have the energy to press consistently, but also the capacity to cover ground at pace; although, intelligence and selflessness will also be required.

Two players stand-out for United in successfully rebuffing the Barcelona carousel before it reaches the defence: Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park.

A United central midfield of Fletcher and Park would lack the metronomic guidance of a Carrick or Scholes, but it would enable the manager to protect their penalty area with greater surety than in Rome 2009, to keep the final third more secure, providing a stronger platform for a front four.

Unfortunately for Darren Fletcher, though, the final may have come 180 minutes too soon after his absence with a virus; the choice will revert to Michael Carrick or Ryan Giggs, with Fabio Da Silva an outsider. Should Carrick be selected, then Giggs would likely play from a deep, tucked-in left-wing position, supplementing the centre of midfield when required.

With the searing pace and virtuoso movement of Hernandez stretching the play and occupying two of the Barcelona backline; and Rooney augmenting the midfield, it feels possible that a 4-4-2 could work for United, but it would have to be pitch-perfect.

However, should the United manager seek to integrate Hernandez with pragmatism his overwhelming philosophy, then the formation would probably be the same as that in Rome 2009 - a 4-3-3 and it would mean a return to the left-hand side for Wayne Rooney.

Thus far, Rooney has been unable to interpret the left-sided forward position with the same vitality as other players with far less ability. Rather than supplementing the attack, Rooney has almost always morphed into an auxiliary left-back. Moreover, with Dani Alves the opponent for all along that flank, the fear must be that United’s best attacking player could be rendered irrelevant by his defensive responsibilities.

In many ways, though, a 4-3-3 would suit the United team: enabling Carrick to play more of a natural game to him, aided by the energy of Park and with a Giggs, Anderson or a Fabio able to break the lines with the ball at their feet.

Indeed, were United to line-up as: Van der Sar; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valenca, Carrick, Park, Giggs; Rooney and Hernandez – they would able to change between two systems to suit the progression of the game. Tactical flexibility is likely to be high on the United manager’s agenda.

Of course, the 4-3-3 was also the system utilised by United last year and that team’s experiences will inevitably be utmost in their manager’s mind. With Rooney playing as a lone centre-forward, United obliterated Milan over two-legs and the team’s ultimate defeat to Bayern Munich owed much to the naivety of their full-back Rafael in the 2^nd-leg; until the sending-off, United had blown into a 3-0 lead.

Although Rooney has evolved into a more creative role this season, when deployed as a lone striker last year, the player’s selflessness, strength, vision, awareness and work-rate set him above any other forward in the world – Torres, Ronaldo, Drogba et al – aside from one: Messi. Though, his counterpart at Barcelona interprets the role differently.  

Moreover, Rooney’s relationship with Antonio Valencia just seemed to guarantee goals, and coincidentally, while the United number 10 has been adorned with a stylistically inaccurate nickname of the “White Pele,” it would be far more appropriate to compare Valencia with Garrincha. The Ecuadorian is all right-foot, selflessness, strength and pace; his only concern is to hit the by-line and how to get his cross in; unafraid to stop, to turn, and to run at his full-back again - much like the “Little Bird.”

With Hernandez a perfect option from the bench, ready for when the Barcelona team start to tire from 65 minutes onwards, the reversion to the relative security of 4-5-Rooney/ 4-3-3 must be attractive. Although the Nani of recent months differs from the left-sided version that played against Bayern and also the right-sided one during much of this season. It is difficult to judge the player's state of mind.

But the temptation to shell the Little Pea from kick-off might be too tantalising and seeing Hernandez’s name in the starting eleven is a prospect that might have more than just Sir Alex Ferguson salivating: United’s fans will be hoping for as much offensive bravura as is practicable.

Nowhere loves to think it walks the talk more than Manchester and attacking one of the best teams ever, whilst the eyes of the world are watching, may be as swaggering as it is possible for football tactics to become.