6 VÍctor Valdés
The Barcelona goalkeeper barely had to move for Ronaldo’s third-minute penalty
as the United forward missed. He was largely redundant for most of the first
period and mostly untested in the second.
6 Gianluca Zambrotta The Italy full back fired a blistering 25-yard
drive in the second period that Van der Sar did well to save, but while he
got forward occasionally, his focus was predominantly on stopping United on
the counter-attack.
6 Rafael Márquez The Mexican did enough to put Ronaldo off having
a clear sight of goal after the United forward had capitalised on Xavi’s
loose pass. Will miss the second leg through suspension after picking up a
second yellow card.
6 Gabriel Milito Got off to a terrible start when he handled Ronaldo’s
header in the penalty area, but the Argentina defender regained his
composure well. There were a few anxious moments, but he was otherwise
commanding.
6 Eric Abidal France’s first-choice left back ahead of Evra and was
largely untroubled by Rooney, allowing him to support Iniesta. He looked
assured and had a more comfortable night than his United counterpart.
8 Yaya Touré The Ivory Coast midfield player has the toughest job
in the Barcelona team: shielding the back four while the rest mount their
sorties forward. It is a role he relishes and his reading of the game was
superb.
8 Xavi Hernández Arguably Barcelona’s best player, this was a
near-flawless performance. When Ferguson talked about the importance of ball
retention, he could have been forgiven for talking enviously of Xavi. Talk
about deft delivery.
7 Deco He was quiet during the second period, but his passing for much
of the first half bordered on the sublime. United must be thankful that they
do not have to play against his kind every week.
8 Lionel Messi Worked the magic that has made him one of the most
coveted players in the world. His passing was something to behold and Evra
and Brown would have been glad to see the back of him when he was
substituted.
6 Samuel Eto’o Missed one of Barcelona’s best chances in the 52nd
minute when he fired into the side-netting after being released by Iniesta,
but the Cameroon striker’s cunning and running made him a threat all night.
7 Andrés Iniesta Preferred to Bojan Krkic and Thierry Henry and it
was not hard to see why. He was Barcelona’s best player during the opening
stages of the first half and did not give United a minute’s rest thereafter.
Substitutes
Bojan Krkic (for Messi, 62min): Did not make the same impact as Messi
but a threat nonetheless
Thierry Henry (for Deco, 76)
Average rating
How Manchester United rated
7 Edwin van der Sar Having conceded possession in a dangerous position
when he threw the ball to a Barcelona player deep in his own half, the
Holland goalkeeper looked jittery, but he recovered to make a number of fine
saves.
6 Owen Hargreaves For only the second time for United, Hargreaves was
asked to play at right back. Ferguson was obviously more comfortable with
him there than John O’Shea, and he produced a competent display.
8 Rio Ferdinand With Vidic sidelined, this was always going to be one
of those occasions when United would need Ferdinand at his peak and he did
not disappoint. Stood firm and made a string of decisive late interventions.
5 Wes Brown For the first 20 minutes, he resembled a rabbit in the
headlights. He picked up a little, but was soon being turned inside and out
again by Barcelona’s multi-pronged attack and made a number of mistakes.
5 Patrice Evra Is unlikely to face many tougher challenges than trying
to thwart Messi. While he stuck to his task, it seemed impossible to shackle
the Argentinian, whose substitution in the 62nd minute was greeted with
relief.
6 Wayne Rooney Cut a frustrated figure out on the right of midfield,
but he set about his duties with a fervour that others might not have. The
sight of Rooney making a clearance in his own penalty area typified his
selfless display.
6 Michael Carrick One penetrating run looked certain to provide at
least a shot on target, but his composure deserted him and he fired into the
side-netting. Was given little time or space but made one terrific
last-ditch tackle.
8 Paul Scholes Some questioned the wisdom of starting with Scholes on
such a large pitch, but he played as if his life depended on it. Is it any
wonder Fabio Capello wants to bring him out of international retirement?
5 Park Ji Sung He excelled for PSV Eindhoven against AC Milan at this
stage of the competition in 2005, but at times last night he looked lost.
Not one to be disheartened, he stuck to his task without threatening.
6 Carlos Tévez A surprise starter, although, given his knack for
scoring vital goals, it was not hard to see why Ferguson opted to play the
Argentina forward from the off. It was a largely frustrating evening for
him.
6 Cristiano Ronaldo What a statement United’s talisman would have sent
out had he converted his penalty. Instead, he missed and was overshadowed by
Messi, who may yet have a say in where the World Player of the Year award
goes.
Substitutes
Ryan Giggs (for Tévez, 84min)
Nani (for Rooney, 75)
Average rating: 6.2
Crowd
The Nou Camp has long been one of the most jaw-dropping citadels in world
football and last night was no exception. The carnival atmosphere had been
building long before kick-off, but it was not until the teams emerged that
it became apparent just how intimidating a stadium it is when packed to the
rafters. United’s fans, tucked away in the heavens, were drowned out
whenever Barcelona’s support found their voice as their players gave them
something to shout about. Imagine the noise created at Anfield on a European
night and double it.
Referee
Massimo Busacca is no stranger to refereeing on the big occasion. The Swiss
officiated three games at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, including
Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Mexico in the last 16, and the all-Spanish Uefa
Cup final between Seville and Espanyol last season. That experience told
when he wasted no time in correctly awarding United a penalty in the third
minute last night. Others might not have been so bold with the match in its
infancy and he continued to marshall proceedings throughout with an air of
understated authority.
Managers
A fascinating duel in so many respects. For Ferguson, progress to the
Champions League final is essential because, as he has long admitted,
United’s record in Europe under his management has not been what it should.
Equally, Frank Rijkaard’s hopes of staying in his job at the Nou Camp beyond
the end of the season are likely to depend on Barcelona triumphing in
Moscow, given that it represents his only realistic chance of winning some
silverware with his team trailing so far behind Real Madrid after a
disappointing season in La Liga.
Tactics
There were no real surprises in Rijkaard’s lineup as the Barcelona coach
plumped for his favoured 4-3-3 formation, but Ferguson’s selection was full
of surprises. Mindful of the threat their opponents posed from out wide, the
United manager opted for a 4-4-1-1 system, with Rooney and Park offering
support to both full backs, Tévez behind Ronaldo up front and Hargreaves at
right back. United seemed to be hampered by the unfamiliar system for much
of the first period and there always appears a danger when such a
free-flowing unit are restricted in such a manner
Entertainment
Football was put on this earth for games such as this. From the first whistle,
it was a rip-roaring, rollercoaster of an affair between two attacking sides
at the Nou Camp. Ronaldo heightened the drama in the third minute when he
blazed his penalty wide and the action never relented thereafter. Barcelona
were a blur of movement and outstanding at getting between the lines and
dragging United players all over the place. Is it any wonder that the game’s
purists would have liked to see these teams trading blows in the final in
Moscow?
Flicks and tricks
With Messi, Ronaldo and Co on the pitch, there was never going to be a
shortage of skills to set the pulses racing, although with so much riding on
the game, this was less an occasion to showboat than one in which to
demonstrate outstanding vision and pinpoint accuracy. On that score,
Barcelona did not disappoint, and in many respects the individual brilliance
of some of the Spanish team’s players highlighted some of the more prosaic
qualities among some, if not all, of the members of the United side. Words
by James Ducker
Match statistics (Barcelona first): Goals 0, 0; Shots on target 6, 1;
Shots off target 8, 3; Blocked shots 6, 3; Corners 8, 3; Fouls 12, 20;
Offsides 0, 3; Yellow cards 1, 1; Red cards 0, 0; Passing success 89.4%,
74.3%; Tackles 19, 35; Tackle success 84.2%, 45.7%; Possession 72.8%, 27.2%;
Territorial advantage 61%, 39%
