Evra admits Barcelona regret

Ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final, Manchester United’s Patrice Evra admits he may have been complacent against Barcelona in 2009.

United went down 2-0 against Barcelona at the same stage of the competition two years ago, with Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi scoring the winning goals in Rome.

The sides meet again at Wembley this weekend, with French fullback Evra determined to make amends for the disappointment of defeat at the Stadio Olimpico.

“I am honest. I was confident in Italy. Maybe too confident,” Evra said.

“It hurt so much when we lost. We did the team pictures the following season. We had three trophies. But we were missing the one with the big ears.”

Evra acknowledges Barcelona deserve their favourites tag, but insists United should not be discounted.

“Everyone says Barcelona are the best team in the world now,” he said.

“I respect that. Maybe the opposite will happen. But, two years ago, everyone said we were going to beat Barcelona easily in Rome.”

“Barcelona are very good at keeping the ball but football is not about keeping the ball, it is about scoring goals.”

Evra and his teammates will need to stop arguably the world’s best player, Lionel Messi, if they’re to stand any chance of winning a fourth European Cup.

Messi has scored 49 goals in all competitions this season and is widely regarded as the man who can prove the difference during the final.

Nevertheless, he insists the weight of expectation does not affect him.

“It’s a privilege. It hasn’t put any extra weight on my shoulders,” Messi said.

“I love seeing people enjoying themselves while watching me and my team-mates playing and to be able to win all these titles for them. I always take things easy – and I’m very relaxed about it because things have gone our way for a long time.”