‘We will destroy Manchester United, warns Barca’s Messi

LONDON - Barcelona and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has warned that Manchester United face a humiliating roll over in Wednesday night’s Champions League final in Rome.

Predicting that Barca would see the face-off as a revenge outing for last year’s semi-final loss, Messi said that the Catalan giants were now better prepared and that Manchester United would not be able to repeat its 2008 heroics.

Messi told SunSport: “I don’t think Manchester will play like that again. They have players to play football and will be a bit more open. We’re the best team in Europe in an open game and this will give us the advantage. If they come out to play it will be a beautiful game - and I hope it will benefit us.”

“I remember last year’s semi-final. They were two evenly-matched games, very tight. The tie was decided by the great goal they scored.”

Back on May 2, Barcelona thumped Real Madrid 6-2 at the Bernabeu in La Liga’s title sealer.For Messi, that game proved any team, however great, which attacks Barca does so at their peril.

In this season’s dramatic Champions League semi-final against the Catalan giants, Chelsea spent practically 180 minutes camped inside their own half with Barcelona frantically trying to find a breakthrough.

Messi added: “The game in Madrid shows why Chelsea did what they did - sit back and try not to leave any spaces for us to play our football.

“For that reason, I say that for us it’s an advantage when a team plays football and tries to match Barcelona as equals. Manchester can be that team with the players they have.”

Messi said: “I was very frustrated and angry after last year’s semi-final loss to United. I was so sad we couldn’t make the final after coming so close. But the way we’ve turned things around this season gives us more desire and hunger to beat them this time. I’m very confident we’ll win.” (ANI)