'Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law.' - JOHAN CRUYFF, referring to the 'two brilliant and great' United players

Cruyff insists that Barca are capable of eliminating United.

All they have to do is keep the ball away from Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Co.

Well, sure, perfect plan.

The question is how?

This semi-final represents what we might have hoped for in the final - the two most flamboyant teams left in the tournament, each committed to thinking that victory comes to those who score the most goals.

They have shared 3-3 results down the years, in Barcelona and in Manchester.

Maybe it is greedy to expect the same again, but isn't it the nature of fans to dream of being entertained?

I read that Sir Alex Ferguson regards this as his finest United collection.

That is a mighty claim considering that he has managed Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes from the soccer cradle to now, and coached Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy et al.

But he can justify it. Has there been a better attacking player than Ronaldo?

Now that he is 23, and playing more for the team and less for himself, he has become more than a show pony on the wing.

He runs where instinct takes him, right, left and even centre-forward, where he scores like a good, old-fashioned power player.

I don't have to define his trickery because you surely know, the WORLD knows, that this is the outstanding individualist in the global game.

Or is he?

Ronaldo has scored 38 goals in 45 games this season, seven in Europe.

He may be slightly tiring as the end of the season nears, but he relishes the stage in Barcelona.

Because he is at the top of his game, he even relishes the comparison experts are attempting to make in every language under the sun between him and Lionel Messi.

You look at the two and comparison seems a misnomer. Ronaldo is 1.85 metres.

Messi is 1.69m. And he is just back from the type of injury, a torn muscle, that seems to come once a season with him.

But, boy, does he sparkle in between. He has had half the playing time of Ronaldo this season.

But, in Europe, he is just one goal short of the United star, and his goal assists have prompted Barcelona to an identical Champions League season - P10 W8 D2 - goals for 18, goals against 5.

It would be ludicrous to regard these two great clubs as being one-man teams.

Ludicrous and insulting to the likes of Rooney, Giggs, Anderson and, this season, Michael Carrick.

And the same for Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Samuel Eto'o, and the boy who is even younger than Messi, Bojan Krkic.

One key duel could be how Eric Abidal copes with Ronaldo - or how the centre-backs Gabriel Milito and Rafael Marquez subdue him when he speeds into the penalty box.

Another pits Messi against the most improved left-back in the English Premier League, Patrice Evra.

But there are talents all over the pitch.

Can Paul Scholes outsmart Xavi and Iniesta? Indeed, will Sir Alex pick Scholes, whose form has been subdued of late?

He has Giggs, he has Carrick, and he has the amalgam of power and guile that is Anderson.

People ask if Messi is not going to score, who will?

They have forgotten Eto'o, one of the most predatory finishers in football.

Last Saturday, he missed three chances he would normally have scored blindfolded, but you would not bet on that happening again.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will snuff him out, won't they?

This presumptuousness that 2008 is England's year has reached Camp Nou ahead of United, and Cruyff is not the only one who thinks Barcelona might have something to say about that.

Tonight, after all, represents Barcelona's season. United have the EPL to play for as well.

stsports@sph.co.sg