United left the Stadio Olimpico with a stinging sense of regret at a 2-0 defeat that seemed comprehensive at the time, even if their players have claimed this week their performance was not that bad.

Dig a little deeper though and the recurring word is "regret".

Even Ferguson now accepts he got things wrong in the build-up. He cannot say the same now.

"This game is not a matter of revenge," he said.

"It was a matter of our own personal pride that we lost the game on that particular occasion. Therefore we are very focused this time.

"Our preparation has been better. Maybe we made one or two mistakes last time."

One of those errors might have been to excuse his entire starting line-up any involvement in their final Barclays Premier League game at Hull.

Although done for the best of reasons, it meant United's main men had gone 10 days without a game.

This time, only the ones who needed a break got one, with Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes all starting Tuesday's testimonial for Gary Neville, who travelled with his former team-mates when they boarded the train to London yesterday.

"That was a good thing because it took a bit of the focus of this game away for a day or so," said Ferguson.

"It enabled everyone to relax because the week leading up to a final can be long.

"We did most of the preparation before the Blackpool game. Winning the league the previous week helped us in that way."

It also allowed for more time to analyse United's opponents.

Ferguson and his players hardly needed to pore through DVDs to work out Lionel Messi can play, or that Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa are fairly decent as well.

However, any morsel could prove so crucial at a level of the game where differences can be wafer-thin.

"It would be unwise to go into a game not preparing your team for how your opponents play, their strengths and weaknesses," Ferguson said. "Every team gets that respect.

"But we hope to have plenty to offer because no-one can question we have the players who can do it."

Ferguson has spoken to Jose Mourinho, whose own hopes of reaching this day floundered amid two very acrimonious meetings with the Catalans.

If the controversial Portuguese coach told him anything worthwhile, Ferguson wasn't saying.

Neither was he getting into any debate about the play-acting that was so evident in Barcelona's play against Real Madrid, nor the vicious allegations that followed.

Instead, he was glowing in his praise of opposite number Pep Guardiola, who he feels has struck a heavy blow for Spanish coaches in a country that has often ignored its own.

Such a discipline of football history, Ferguson even declined an opportunity to talk about the emotions of a game between two clubs who both conquered Europe for the first time in this world famous stadium.

One senses, more than most occasions, the United boss is focused. Focused on making amends for one that got away.

"Wembley is still a symbol," he said.

"You know when you come here it is for a big reason. There is none bigger than tomorrow.

"According to the bookmakers we are underdogs. That doesn't really matter to us to be honest.

"Anybody going into a game of this nature doesn't care what the betting is or what the experts say because of your preparation and what the players can add to what we are telling them.

"The belief factor, the tactics and various things like that do not matter.

"It is what happens on the pitch and we go out there with a genuine chance."