MANCHESTER United aim to join the pantheon of footballing legends as they take on Barcelona in Rome.
Sir Alex Ferguson's team will become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League title if they can win the showpiece match at the Stadio Olimpico.
More than 30,000 United fans have travelled to Italy in the hope of seeing their side become champions of Europe for the fourth time in the club's history and millions more will watch the action on television.
The exodus came amid reports that a Reds fan had been stabbed in Rome and several other United fans arrested.
The footballing world is anticipating an epic showdown in a final which brings together two of the biggest clubs on the planet and two of the game's best young players - United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca's Lionel Messi.
Ferguson said he wanted his team to write their names in history by bringing home the European trophy again.
The last team to win back-to-back European Cups was AC Milan in 1990 and 1991 and no team has achieved the feat since the introduction of the Champions League format in the following year.
Ferguson said: "This is an opportunity for us to be put alongside a lot of the great teams of Europe. If you look back, sides like Ajax, AC Milan and Bayern Munich regularly won it on consecutive seasons.
"There have been a lot of unlucky teams in world football but when you look at the pantheon of great teams you need to have won the European Cup to have that tag."
Follow the build-up to the big match throughout the day here on the M.E.N. website and come back for live text commentary, pictures and reaction during the game and after the final whistle.
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Showing comments 1 to 20 and replies | View All
Stretford Born Blue, Brooklands (27/05/2009 at 08:49)
Comments please!!!!
vegas-blue, Stalyvegas (27/05/2009 at 09:00)
Lord De Las Moscas, Piggly Wiggly Farm (27/05/2009 at 10:15)
We had better make the most of our chance this year and next because City are a massive, massive club now and they will buy all the very best players in the world this summer and become the dominant force in Manchester for the next century at least. Unless of course nobody wants to sign for them ?
Kinkys boots (27/05/2009 at 10:37)
Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (27/05/2009 at 12:10)
The Manc Man, Manchester (27/05/2009 at 12:11)
Cashpoint, Easter Island (27/05/2009 at 12:30)
vegas-blue, Stalyvegas (27/05/2009 at 12:40)
steve wilson (27/05/2009 at 12:42)
P.S. trafford park born & bred
cjs73 (27/05/2009 at 13:12)
cjs, Manchester
Stretford Born Blue, Brooklands (27/05/2009 at 13:19)
Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (27/05/2009 at 13:35)
vegas-blue, Stalyvegas
27/05/2009 at 12:40 - couldent have put it better myself, just goes to prove that Manchesters only true club is City.
Malc, oldham (27/05/2009 at 13:58)
JAIR, Snowdonia (27/05/2009 at 14:05)
Cant wait to see what the "bitters " will find to comment about then..
JAIR, Snowdonia (27/05/2009 at 14:09)
Its rather like me commenting on Metaphysical sub-atomic fission and the hyperbolic state of the quantum order of the implicate. xD
Glory glory...wish I was there......from a Salford boy.
Amelia, , Blackley (27/05/2009 at 14:44)
Come on you Reds !!
JTC Formerley JimC (27/05/2009 at 15:14)
'Great!'
'Did you visit the Wailing Wall?'
'Yes - but I couldn't get near it for Manchester City supporters!
JTC Formerley JimC (27/05/2009 at 15:15)
A:bird flu made it to europe
Audenshaw Bob (27/05/2009 at 15:29)
A school party was walking past a bar in Albert Square and there were scores outside and there were songs like:
'Die, die Glazer ******* die' to the sound of aye, aye yippy, yippy, aye.
and..Viera is a ****' to the tune of Volari.
Nice fans.
Clara, Manchester (27/05/2009 at 15:38)
Come on Reds and fans, lets all do Manchester proud by being good sports
:o)