10 Best team performances of the decade (2010-2019)

#2 Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United, UEFA Champions League final – 28th May 2011

Barcelona produced a classic performance to defeat Manchester United for the Champions League in 2011

After their shocking Champions League loss to Inter Milan in 2010, Barcelona came back with a vengeance in the 2011 edition of the competition, taking apart a very strong Manchester United side in the final at Wembley and winning 3-1. The two sides had faced off in the 2009 final with Barca winning, but it was this game that really cemented Pep Guardiola’s side as contenders for the best club team ever.

Barcelona’s passing during this game was simply ridiculous – tiki-taka at its finest, as they dominated possession, taking 68%, and somehow maintained a passing success rate of 89.6% throughout the match. Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta were fantastic in Barca’s midfield, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Lionel Messi.

The little Argentine tormented United’s defence – including world-class stars such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic – throughout the match, and scored the second goal for La Blaugrana before creating their third with an incredible run into the box that ended with David Villa finding the net.

United never let their heads drop and did score a tremendous goal; Wayne Rooney hammered home past Victor Valdes just 7 minutes after Pedro’s opener, but for the most part it felt like they were chasing shadows, unable to stop what their boss Sir Alex Ferguson christened Barcelona’s “passing carousel”. This was a truly phenomenal performance from a once-in-a-lifetime team.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Alan John