Date
Saturday the 28th of May 2011
Time
20:45, Barcelona Time (CEST)
11:45, Los Angeles (PDT)
14:45, Ontario/Montréal (EDT)
18:45, London (UTC)
2:45, Trinidad
Wembley Stadium
United are obviously no strangers to Wembley, scene of nine of their FA Cup final victories, though the north London venue also commands a place in Barcelona's affections. Indeed, as Europe's premier club competition returns to Wembley for a record sixth time – the first in the UEFA Champions League era – fate has pitted together the two sides that claimed their maiden European Cups there.In 1968 United became the first English club to lift the trophy with a 4-1 extra-time victory against a Eusébio-inspired SL Benfica. The Catalan giants also needed an additional 30 minutes when they met UC Sampdoria 24 years later in the last final before the dawn of the UEFA Champions League era. With Josep Guardiola among the starting XI, Dutch international Ronald Koeman finally broke the deadlock in the second period of extra time with a trademark free-kick.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7YaqOibFjog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/7YaqOibFjog</a>]]>Previous Encounters
United and Barcelona have met on ten previous occasions, winning three games apiece and drawing the other four since beginning their rivalry in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals. They have also met in two UEFA finals; aside from Barcelona's 2009 triumph, they also met in the 1991 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in Rotterdam when United ran out 2-1 winners – Sir Alex Ferguson's first European trophy at Old Trafford. Former Barça striker Mark Hughes was the United hero, twice beating goalkeeper Carlos Busquets, father of Sergio.
The sides were paired in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 1994/95 and 1998/99, drawing three games with Barcelona winning the other, and United prevailed when they met in the 2007/08 semi-finals. Barcelona enacted swift retribution in their last meeting in Rome though ominously for Barça, neither side has ever won back-to-back meetings.
European pedigree
Both sides have three titles apiece and are aiming for a fourth to move level with AFC Ajax and FC Bayern München in the all-time list – behind only Liverpool FC, AC Milan and Real Madrid CF. United had a 100% record in finals before Rome in 2009, defeating Benfica (1968), Bayern (1999) and Chelsea FC (2008).Barcelona have won three out of six, victories against Sampdoria (1992), Arsenal FC (2006) and United balanced out by losses to Benfica (1961), FC Steaua Bucureşti (1986) and Milan (1994). For the Blaugrana, triumph would bring their third European Cup in six seasons, making them the first team to win the UEFA Champions League three times this century.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/05/22/sports/soccer/22messi-GPX.html?ref=soccer
