The Difference Between Men & Babies? 90 Minutes.

The "men" in the semi finals were reduced to mere toddlers in Rome, as Barcelona walked all over a helpless Manchester United side to emerge, deservedly, the Champions of Europe. There's a very fine line between confidence and arrogance, pride and haughtiness, but also a fine divide between champions and runners-up, and United were the latter in all three examples listed above.

Barcelona can thank Arsenal for Manchester United's tactically cavalier approach to the Champions League final, because the two legs of the semi final probably led to the Red Devils overestimating themselves. Patrice Evra's comments after the semi finals were a disgrace, and lacked any respect whatsoever to a team that had beaten United as recently as this season. And it were these comments that reflected an over-confidence of sorts in their dressing room among the players, and the manager.

Chelsea were fantastic against Barca in both legs of the semi finals, and for all the 'anti-football' talk, which I think is pure bollocks, they were the ones who created more chances at Stamford Bridge. In fact, the Catalans didn't even have a single shot on target until Iniesta unleashed his right foot upon West London. The Blues showed just how Barcelona could be stopped, and even put under pressure, at least till before injury time.

To be fair to United, they stuck to their principles in the final, and planned on playing their own game, which they believed was good enough to beat the Spanish champions. In honesty, United's attacking play is good enough to breach Barca's defence, but the individuals that consitute that attack weren't at their best in Rome. Darren Fletcher, it has to be said, was sorely missed. His energy and drive in midfield were the one of the prime reasons Arsenal stood no chance in the semis, and a 36-year-old Ryan Giggs could in no way replace the energy Fletcher brings to the table. Paul Scholes would have probably been the better replacement, as he's a proper central midfielder, and has the ability to control the ball well and retain possession.

The exclusion of Carlos Tevez from United's starting line up has always baffled me. The Argentine is a class act, one who can pressurize defences with his pace and energy, and even though Park ji Sung scored against Arsenal, he's nowhere near Tevez in terms of quality. However, I doubt any of these changes would have changed the final result in any way, because in truth, everyone in the United lineup had an off-day. Ronaldo was utterly wasteful, Rooney was ineffective, whereas Carrick and Anderson were merely steamrolled by Xavi and Iniesta.

The two Spaniards played like artists yesterday, drawing moves with precise brushstrokes, while letting the likes of Eto'o and Messi provide the final touches. Messi wasn't the star-man yesterday, as most news reports are proclaiming, but it was this duo in midfield, which was at the heart of everything good Barca did offensively. Before the final began, the key for United in my opinion was how Carrick would be able to break up Barca's attacks and deal with Xavi and Iniesta, and with that battle being totally one-sided, the match was as good as over.

Also, a word must be said for a largely makeshift defence that the Catalans put out last night. Marquez, Alves, and Abidal were all either injured or suspended for the final, which meant that Pique was partnered by erstwhile midfielder Yaya Toure, resulting in captain Carles Puyol being shifted to right back. Also, Abidal was replaced by 35-year-old Sylvinho, a former Arsenal fullback. However, all four of them dealt with United's attacks superbly, barring the opening seven minutes of the match. Pique, in particular, was immense, clearing any danger immediately in the Barca penalty area. The lad has now won back-to-back Champions League titles. Very few footballers, even those who have gone through their entire careers, can boast of that!

Everyone talks about how Arsenal pass the ball around superbly, and are pretty to watch, but Barcelona have taken that same brand of football many levels higher. The passing is unbelievable, and it's fascinating to watch all these players stay amazingly calm in possession, and choose their next pass carefully. Also, at the same time, they concentrate on the defensive side of their game very seriously, and have a highly capable defence, which doesn't always get the credit it deserves.

In short, teams all around Europe should quickly realize that this Barcelona side means business, and will get even better next year. They are the best team in Europe, and the world, at the moment, and deserved this triumph. Meanwhile, for the team from Old Trafford, it's been a phenomenal season as well, having won three trophies, including the Premiership. Also, this result might go a long way in bringing Fergie's men back to Earth, which seemed necessary in the light of recent events.

For as we've seen, it only takes 90 minutes for "men" to turn into "babies".