FanHouse Sir Alex Ferguson

Waking up Thursday morning my inbox was more packed than usual. The words "Ronaldo" and "Real Madrid" featured prominently in subject lines.

Was I still dreaming? Was the other, original Ronaldo making an audacious comeback?

Rubbing the sand out of my eyes, no, it wasn't a dream. Manchester United had agreed for a world-record transfer fee of £80 million ($131M U.S.) for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, thus ending a multi-year flirtation with the Portuguese forward.

Watching the 2009 Champions League final unfold a sense of déjà vu washed over me. In a lot of ways it was like watching the final of Euro 2008 all over again. Instead of Spain defeating Germany 1-0 last June, Wednesday it was Barcelona defeating Manchester United 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Manchester United ... Barcelona ... the UEFA Champions League final. What more really needs to be said?

Wednesday night in Rome (ESPN, 2:25 PM ET) the best team in Europe will be crowned in a contest pitting the champions of what are considered the two top professional leagues in the world -- the (English) Premier League and La Liga. Oh right, there's the juicy subplot between two of the world's best players, too, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi squaring off at the Stadio Olimpico.

Put the champagne on ice, because Manchester United could have the 2008-09 Premier League crown wrapped up before most Americans are awake Saturday morning.

The Red Devils put themselves on the doorstep of their third straight Premier League crown after beating Wigan Athletic 2-1 Wednesday, finally making up the 'game in hand' the club has held seemingly for months. Manchester United now lead second place Liverpool by six points with two games remaining. All Manchester United needs is one point from its two remaining games -- the first coming in the early Saturday morning fixture against rival Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Is it possible Sir Alex Ferguson pressed one of those annoying Staples buttons in the dressing room before Tuesday's UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg against Arsenal because, boy, that sure looked easy. Almost too easy, as the Red Devils strolled to a 3-1 win and 4-1 on aggregate and move onto the final in Rome with the chance to defend their trophy from last season.