Goalless Tussle

Ronnie just knew that it's not his night

It could have been 2-0 to Man Utd. Ronaldo's missed penalty and a bad call by the referee sums up the night. A bad omen perhaps? This semi-final match up is certainly a battle royale between two gigantic clubs in Europe. Both Man Utd and Barcelona have their own respective young talisman - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. For United, it was a return to the stadium where they had tasted European glory back in 1999. However, the only returning remnants of that team is the manager himself and Ryan Giggs. Scholes himself had missed out the final due to suspension. It's a different United team coming to Nou Camp this time but Fergie would surely look forward in achieving another Champions League title to his name.

Of course, Nou Camp jumped into a shock when Barca conceded a penalty from a Gabriel Milito handball just 3 minutes into the game. It was as if Barca had lost the plot already and gifted the crucial away goal courtesy of Milito's flapping hands. It could be as good as game over for Barcelona so early in the game. Routine line up by Ronaldo to take the kick as he's being jeered by the thundering voices of Nou Camp......and he misses the penalty. It felt irritating at that moment since it sometimes look as if Ronaldo tried to be too clever but I felt that some sympathy should be given due to the situation he's in. In Old Trafford, it's pressurising to take a second one during the Arsenal match but he was spurred on by the home crowd. But I think that the nerves were not calmed from the excitement of an early penalty and it's not easy to step upfront with 98000 pairs of eyes looking and about 75% of them jeering. This was what happened during the ASEAN cup semis between Singapore and Malaysia where Khyril Muhymeen blew up his crucial penalty as a result from the intimidating pressure of the home crowd.

Ronaldo could have redeem himself at one point where Marquez was seen to be obstructing him and making no attempts to get the ball. The referee said no, probably because he didn't open his eyes to see properly or he was afraid to incur the wrath of Nou Camp for the second time. The TV replay showed clearly that it was even a more deserved penalty than the first.

Barca's possession is superior and Lionel Messi is still scary despite being half fit. It seemed that Man Utd were sticking to some form of game plan where they concentrate more on shutting down and defending rather than going on the attack. Baraca were allowed time and time again to dance around Man Utd's half but I must say that I'm impressed with United's defence this time in shutting down the attackers at the crucial time. Van der sar made a couple of brilliant saves but sometimes it just felt as if Man Utd were sitting ducks while Barca continued on the attack. Man Utd's attack is almost non-existent cos it really looked like they didn't plan to do their usual stuff. I agree with Fergie that the transition from defending to attacking was just not there. They play short passes at their own half and out of a sudden at Barca's half, the pump long balls. Tevez was giving away balls in midfield instead of putting them past Barca's net while I dunnoe what Park Ji Sung is doing there at times. To some extent, Barca was also cautious and they too played a short passing game. It was clear that both sides were playing it safe and not resorting to some careless attacking bravado. Man Utd survived the Barca onslaught but I'm having mix feelings on the 0-0 scoreline.

Good news is that United didn't get owned at the away tie like what happened in Milan last year. For Barca, they did not concede the away goal. Bad news for Man Utd is that if Barca scores, they need only a draw to go through. So, mathematics favour Barcelona in terms of probability of outcome. But the bad news for Barcelona is that many teams don't get past the net in Old Trafford this season and this is their turn to get intimidated on foreign soil. They may need to double up their spirit and resilience to get to Moscow. The outcome of the second leg could well be determined by what happens in Stamford Bridge this weekend. And United's next two matches could well determine whether they could get the Double, Single Premier League or are in danger of going trophyless in a cruel twist of fate.