When he looks back on this game, Cristiano Ronaldo’s only consolation will be that at least John Arne Riise’s mistake was worse. Not many gifts get handed out at the Camp Nou, but Gabriel Milito’s decision to wave his hands in front of a second minute corner like a man trying to shake off the attentions of an angry wasp, was a gift-wrapped opportunity for Manchester United to stun Barcelona. Sir Alex Ferguson praised Ronaldo for his nerve when he re-took and scored a vital penalty against Arsenal a fortnight ago, but that composure must have been left behind in the departure lounge at Manchester Airport, because this spot-kick sailed horribly wide.
A goal then would have silenced a rebellious crowd, given of late to waving their white hankies in disgust. It would have been a vital away strike, it could even have won the game. Unfortunately, all Ronaldo managed to do was rouse a sleeping beast. The home fans found their voice and the team found their form. After weeks of insipid, limp displays, Barcelona were back.
Lionel Messi and Ronaldo spent much of the game enjoying their own personal skills competition. At times this was less of a football match and more of a soft-drink commercial. For me, Messi just about edged it. In his 60 minutes on the pitch, he was a constant source of flicks and tricks, dancing across the turf and turning Patrice Evra inside out. Paddy Crerand joked that George Best used to give his markers ‘twisted blood.’ After a night like this, Evra now knows exactly what he meant. Ronaldo almost matched Messi in sorcery, but was left battered by a series of uncompromising early challenges, and frustrated by the referee’s refusal to award him another two penalties, both of which looked quite clear-cut.
Sir Alex Ferguson announced before kick-off that he had come to impose the game upon his hosts and, had it not before Ronaldo’s miss, he may well have managed it. In the end he had to be grateful for the calm, stoic defensive abilities of Rio Ferdinand who marshalled the marauding Samuel Eto’o brilliantly. Barcelona were dominant in both possession and with the number of their chances, but Sir Alex will be delighted that his team managed to keep them at arms length and will be ontent enough to take the game back to Old Trafford on an even keel.
The only blemish on Manchester United’s evening was a subdued performance from Wayne Rooney who was deployed wide on the right and starved of possession while Ronaldo enjoyed figurehead status in the centre. It was a gameplan that worked to great effect against Roma, but here it was a failure and the Englishman, desperate to score on St George’s Day, was hauled off with 15 minutes still to play. He did not look amused. Rooney was so desperate to get involved that he could be seen charging in for tackles at right-back on a number of occasions, almost as if he couldn’t cope without touching the ball at least once every now and then.
As the game wore on to its goalless conclusion, both sides seemed happy with the outcome. The classic head-to-head that we’d all hoped for never quite materialised, but this was special in its own way. Both teams came to play the ball on the ground, they came to entertain and they came to win. Even without goals, this was still more captivating than the previous night’s affair. Next week at Old Trafford, with everything still to play for, maybe we’ll get that classic.
