It’s one of those matches that could go either way. No favorites, and no fluke in either team having made it this far. Both Manchester United and Barcelona would make deserving winners at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on Wednesday.

If Manchester emerges victorious, it will not only be adding a fourth title to its already impressive booty of this season’s trophies, but will become the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

But Barcelona star player Lionel Messi says it is his team, seeking a third Champions League triumph, that ought to take control of the match tonight.

"We deserve victory for the spectacular football we have played all year,“ Messi said. "If we play as we have done all year then we will have a great chance to win." He added that it had been a "magnificent“ year for Barcelona, and that it was very motivating to be so close to history.

May the best club win

Veteran United player Ryan Giggs said tonight’s match was a "dream final." "We are two massive clubs with massive histories who play football the right way,“ he said. "It won’t decide the biggest club, but it will decide who the best one is, at least for 2009.“

Whoever emerges victorious in Rome tonight, United Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, believes the final is just the kind of match soccer needs. "Football always needs a boost,“ he said. "Manchester and Barcelona can do that in this final and there’s a good strong possibility of it being a very good final.“

With the pre-match press conferences and the final training sessions done and dusted, there is nothing to do now but wait and see upon whom the great gods of soccer choose to smile.

tw/dpa/AFP

Editor: Rob Mudge