Barcelona 0 Manchester United 0
Live blog of the first leg of the Champions League Semi-Final.
Full Time That’s it 0-0. Job done, I suppose, but it could have been oh so different if Ronaldo hadn’t missed that penalty in the first few minutes.
21:30 I don’t like 0-0 away draws in the Champions League. But I like them better than losing 1-0. So fingers crossed as we go into injury time.
21:27 If there is going to be a last minute own goal by a ginger bloke, it will be Paul Scholes. Or Wes Brown. Van der Sar does a dive for the cameras save from a tame Henry free kick.
21:25 Ryan Giggs comes on for Tevez. The commentator says that it means he has played in all the United semi-finals. Surely Giggs is not old enough to have played in the ‘68 semi finals?
21:22 Henry nearly does something. A fearsome strike that swerves but Van der Sar is equal to.
21:18 Nani plays a great pass to Ronaldo, who puts it back to Park. Park fails to find Tevez. Why is he still on the pitch ?
21:16 Henry has been called into action, for Deco. I’m a bit nervous that he’ll do something, but apparently he has been strictly average this season.
21:15 Nani on for … Rooney ? I’ve not seen Park or Tevez this second half. You know you’ll get good industry from Rooney, why sub him? Save him for the bigger game against Chelsea Saturday ?
21:11 A few years ago I saw a Barcelona v Real Madrid match that had so much skill at such pace and such quality, I thought English teams would never be able to match them. Luckily, that time has past. Barcelona have been strictly average tonight. The trouble is, United haven’t been any good either.
21:07 Not much going on in this game. Fergie has switched and Rooney has just gone up front, I think
21:02 Barcelona freekick from the exact same spot that Bayern Munich scored from in the 99 final. This time it goes over the bar. Messi is off for the on form Bojan
20:55 Just realised Messi is playing. He aint done nothing son, which probably means that he’ll score now.
20:53 Big chance for United. Corner falls to Carrick on the edge of the area. He does brilliantly to beat his man, then sends the ball into the side nettings as well.
20:50 Big chance for Barca. Brown gives the ball away and suddenly it is 2 on 1. Rio covers well and possibly would have given away a penalty but Eto-o stays on his feet but fails to find his colleague with the cross. Big let off. Minutes later Eto’o is in again and hits the side netting.
20:48 Long ranger from Zambrotta but Van der Sar saves easily. Another corner.
20:47 The second half is under way.
Half Time 0-0
20:28 Counter attack and Marquez brings down Ronaldo on the edge of the area. Marquez picks up a booking and misses the 2nd leg. Ronaldo’s freekick is weirdly un-Ronaldo like. At attempted curler that was slow and wide.
20:27 Rio does great against Eto’o and calmly defends a good pass through.
20:24 Not much is actually happening now. It would be better if Barcelona played at more pace allowing United to counter attack. Got to say United are starting to look comfortable again. The ref gives virtually every freekick going which doesn’t help the flow of the game.
20:17 Zambrotta goes down like Tevez put a chainsaw through his neck, but the reality was that there was a slight brush with the arm. Eto’o is starting to have come deep to get the ball. He does get a shot in but Brown blocks and it falls easily for Van Der Sar.
20:15 Great pass from Ronaldo put Rooney into space down the right. He puts the cross in but Park cannot get his header towards goal. Where was Tevez in that attack?
20:13 ooooh, now that should have been a penalty. Mistake by Nesta and Ronaldo was shoved off the ball in the box my Marquez.
20:12 Actually, United have settled into usual defensive away mode, all but Ronaldo behind the ball and Barcelona have passed it around a lot but not done too much with it. Not seen Scholes yet and Tevez hasn’t managed to control it yet.
20:05 Van Der Sar has his first save to make as a long range freekick bounces just in front of him. United are not playing well at all. The formation has me puzzled and I wonder if the Vidic injury has thrown all the plans into chaos. Why Rooney on the right? Surely the obvious option was for Anderson instead of Tevez.
20:00 United need to get a grip on the game. Barcelona are having far too much of the ball and it has lifted the crowd. Utd still seem shocked by the penalty miss.
19:58 Marquez took a freekick right on the edge of the Utd area. Straight at the wall. Why am I having 4-0 1994 flashbacks?
19:57 Huge cock up from Van Der Sar as his miskicked clearance went straight to Barca leaving them 3-2 and a big chance went begging.
19:55 Dangerous pull back from Eto, just went behind two Barca players and found a white shirt. Whistles ensue as United have some possession.
19:53 Three corners in a row for Barcelona. Eventually Ronaldo clears.
19:51 Still coming to grips with the fact we could have been 1-0 up. But that would have been too easy. So far United have broken up each Barcelona attack in midfield until Rooney lost the ball on the right and Evra had to put the cross behind for a corner.
19:48 We would have been gifted a lead as it was a dodgy penalty. A hand ball from a corner. Do we think Ronaldo is not a big game player ?
19:47 Ronaldo misses penalty. Over the bar. 0-0
19:46 PENALTY!!!! Hand ball.
19:45 Game on
19:42 Sky has Rooney on the right and Ronaldo up front with Tevez. Got to be a big gamble playing Deco. I remember Fergie gambling on Van Nistelrooy coming back for a QF against Milan and it failed.
19:40 Team News No Vidic, Hargreaves at RB again, Giggs on the bench and Park gets the nod over Nani. Most interestingly Tevez starts so this is 4-4-2 away in Europe?
Cut and pasted from the Guardian website
Barcelona start with Deco for the first time in two months, a fair old gamble given Messi has played roughly 16 seconds in the last month or so: Valdes, Zambrotta, Marquez, Milito, Abidal, Xavi, Toure Yaya, Deco, Messi, Eto’o, Iniesta.
Subs: Pinto, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Sylvinho, Giovanni, Thuram, Bojan.
No Vidic for Manchester United after he was taken to hospital with a stomach complaint last night: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Park, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Pique, O’Shea, Silvestre.
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
Popularity: 15% [?]
That boy Ronaldo, he scored again. For the 30th time this season, to be precise. It was enough to make the last 10 minutes a little tense instead of unbearably unwatchable.