2011 Champions League final: When Pep Guardiola's Barcelona downed Man United at Wembley

On May 28, 10 years ago, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona beat Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final at Wembley to register their fourth victory in the competition thanks to a Lionel Messi masterclass. It was Guardiola's second European Cup triumph as a manager at Barcelona. On the 10th anniversary of Barcelona's stunning win over Man United in the 2011 UCL final, here's a look back at what happened during that famous night at Wembley. 

Barcelona vs Man United Champions League final: 2011 Champions League final recap

Both teams entered the competition having won it three times previously, Manchester United in 1968, 1999 and 2008; Barcelona in 1992, 2006 and 2009. To reach the final, in the knockout phase Barcelona beat Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk and lastly Real Madrid, while Manchester United beat Marseille, Chelsea and Schalke. The two teams had previously met in the final of the UCL in 2009, where Barcelona prevailed 2-0. 

The Catalan club outplayed Man United in the first half, but despite having 22 shots, were still level at half-time as Pedro’s opener was cancelled out by Wayne Rooney, who side-footed home from 15 yards after a one-two with Ryan Giggs. Barcelona’s dominance continued after the break with Messi, who moments earlier had seen a shot cleared off the line by Patrice Evra. The Argentine eventually found a way past Edwin van der Sar in Man United's goal with a fierce low drive from 25 yards to put Barcelona back in the driving seat.

Messi’s dribbling then caused panic in the United defence and David Villa capitalised to whip a shot into the top corner from just outside the penalty area and secure Barcelona’s third Champions League title in six years. Following the game, Guardiola labelled Messi as the 'best player in the world'.

The Catalan boss will now have the chance to achieve Champions League history with Man United's fierce rivals Man City. 

Manchester City vs Chelsea final: 2021 Champions League final news and live stream details

Man City will lock horns with Chelsea at the Estadio do Dragao on Saturday, May 29, in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League final. The game between the two Premier League giants is scheduled to commence at 8:00 PM BST (Sunday, May 30 at 12:30 AM IST). 

In India, the game will broadcast live on Sony Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Ten 3 SD & HD. The Champions League final live stream will be available on SonyLIV. Live scores and updates from the game can be accessed on the Twitter handles of both teams. 

Image Credits - fifa.com