After Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty miss, it was a case of what might have been for Manchester United, but they should still feel confident of reaching the Champions League final. Sir Alex Ferguson knows that the Barcelona back four is vulnerable and at Old Trafford, where he releases his forwards from their shackles, goals will be there for the scoring. United are capable of winning comfortably.

It’s hard to remember Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tévez and Park Ji Sung being so poor in attack — but that was almost part of the plan. Using containing tactics he would never employ in the Barclays Premier League, Ferguson made them the first line of defence.

It was frustrating and the balance was not quite right because Barcelona should have been tested more, but the visiting side did not concede and a different attitude should bring success in the second leg because it is hard to imagine Frank Rijkaard’s team keeping a clean sheet.

United’s caution was understandable: with Barcelona so devastating on the counter-attack, there was a risk of being sliced apart at Old Trafford if United were chasing the game and were forced to commit plenty of bodies up front.

Now, Ferguson can feel confident that chances will come in Manchester without the need to be too offensive. Carles Puyol returns for the Catalan side, which is a plus — for United. He is no world-beater. Barcelona are not what they were. They had much more about them a couple of years ago, even allowing for Ronaldinho’s absence yesterday.

They had plenty of possession, but offered little in a game far slower than the one between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday. Despite their individual talent, Barcelona seem vulnerable as a unit. Their insecurity is summed up by their reliance on Lionel Messi, brilliant but only 20 years old. Apart from Messi, Barcelona were poor, especially in the first half.

Ferguson’s selection and tactics suggested he was well aware of Barcelona’s strengths and he countered them effectively. He stuck Park and Rooney on the wings to counter the threat of Barcelona’s attacking full backs, Gianluca Zambrotta and Eric Abidal.

Slow, slow, quick — Barcelona try to suck you in, then turn up the tempo. Lulling opponents into a false sense of security, they switch from ponderous to penetrating in an instant. Apart from Yaya Touré, who tends to sit deep, the midfield players go anywhere and everywhere, hunting for pockets of space. When it works, it looks spectacular.

Aware of the danger of being drawn out then sucker-punched, United stayed deep and saw the threats early. A lot of the credit should go to Rio Ferdinand. He has matured as a player and a leader and still has enough speed to live with opposition forwards.

Like Arsenal, the Catalan side do not play with a conventional centre forward. The nearest thing is Samuel Eto’o, but he is a shadow of his former self. Eighteen months ago, he was one of the best in the world, but now he is more of a decoy than a predator, his most useful contribution these days being runs that pull defenders out of position and allow attackers to squeeze through.

In the second leg, Rooney’s main job will not be to cancel out the full back and he may play more centrally. Ronaldo should be in his element in front of his home crowd. It was not his night, yet he was still very influential — there was the penalty, a couple of free kicks, a few runs and getting Rafael Márquez booked.

He, like his team-mates, should feel optimistic. It was not the spectacle we were expecting at the Nou Camp, but, of greater significance, a place in Moscow for United is still there for the taking.