The Difference

Firstly you are reading the blog of someone who's betfair account suggests he truly believed last nights final was going to penalties. In truth it was never going to be that close.

Man United took control early on whilst they had the ball, but it only took one attack and one sluggish lump of Serbian centre half being turned inside out by Eto'o for the Catalans to take the lead and all the control they needed to waltz to the title.

Games absolutely fly by when players like Xavi and Iniesta are given time on the ball to dictate the play. Once Man United were in a position where they had to chase the game, Barca had them exactly where they wanted them. United ended up playing 4-2-4 leaving Barca's beyond world class midfield with time, space and permission to do whatever they wanted.

The game was wrapped up with a cultured header by the smallest person on the pitch, it was at this point that Barca's footballing masterclass became a humiliation. Messi gets rave reviews and I have seen him labelled man of the match in some articles. For me though Iniesta was in a world of his own. My man of the final and arguably the next pretender to the Messi/Ronaldo crown.

He was the difference.