It was a strange spectacle: seeing Sir Alex calm and relaxed and grinning benignly as he shook the hand of Pep Guardiola at the end of a game in which Manchester United had been outpassed, outwitted and outclassed while on their way to a 3-1 defeat. It wasn’t just any old game either, but the Champions League final, in front of about 400 million people watching worldwide.

Neither was this rare sight a one-off blink and you miss it moment, as minutes later Ferguson was again seen graciously receiving the commiserations from the UEFA medal-dispensing delegates, with a rueful look of inevitability spread across his face. It left the viewer in no doubt that the United manager himself had recognised that his team’s opponents had been so undeniably brilliant on the night that there really was no other way to take such a defeat. That he really could lay no blame at his own players or the failings of his own tactics in trying to stem such an irresistible attacking force. He probably also privately acknowledged that it could’ve been worse. It was in fact as comprehensive a 3-1 defeat as is ever likely to be witnessed.

United actually made an extremely energetic start to the game and had Barcelona pegged into their own half for virtually the whole of the opening ten minutes. They didn’t fashion real chances though and didn’t fluster the Catalan side. You sensed they would struggle to keep that pace up and that that familiar, patented Barcelona passing game would soon announce its authority. With about 15 minutes played they started to dazzle.

Messi was truly sublime and no match for the pedestrian United midfield

The speed of thought, intuitive one-touch passing, mesmerising options on the ball and team organisation that enabled them to recover possession almost as soon as they lost it, started to engulf United. The irrepressible Lionel Messi would pick up the ball in the centre of his opponent’s half and weave his way past a swarm of markers before playing a perfectly weighted pass to his most advanced teammate. It took two immaculately-timed last-ditch tackles from Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to prevent near-certain Messi goals. David Villa was slipped through twice for shots at goal as the threat increased.

Fellow artists Xavi and Andres Iniesta were as industrious and technically perfect as ever of course. The United midfield of Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung were being sliced apart. It was Xavi who drove forward to supply the clinical pass for the unnoticed Pedro to slot Barcelona ahead in the 27th minute. Just when you thought an avalanche of goals were on the horizon for the team in red and blue, however, United, to their credit, got a splendid equaliser when a one-two between Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs was the catalyst for Rooney curling the ball past Victor Valdes from just inside the area only seven minutes after going behind.

Barcelona, though, are simply relentless in their quest to create goalscoring opportunities. Messi was running with equally as devastating an effect in the second half and after several more close escapes United eventually bowed to the little Argentine in the 54th minute, when, left in space, he evaded Patrice Evra and lashed in from 25 yards. A replay showed Edwin van der Sar perhaps might’ve done better as the shot was relatively central, but the timing of the shot and number of bodies in the way rendered criticism rather trite.

More beguiling quickness of feet from Messi allowed him to progress into the United penalty area once more in the 69th minute, and when a last ditch clearance bounced unkindly off Nani, Villa delightfully chipped into the top corner to put the game beyond United.

Ferguson’s men, as is their team ethic under him, fought on in desperation for the remaining 20 minutes, but never seriously troubled Valdes. A night of triumph for Barcelona and the likeable Guardiola was heralded by the final whistle, as they secured their second Champions League title in three years, but their performance was a triumph for all true football fans. In a nice touch, the trophy was held aloft by Eric Abidal, who miraculously put in a faultless performance at left back only months after being diagnosed with cancer.

So after easily brushing aside arguably the second best club side in Europe, surely there is only one debate left to argue. Are they the greatest team you’ve ever seen?