MariamNOU CAMP today
FIRST HALF
Barcelona and Manchester United finished the first leg of the semi-final with a draw at Nou Camp today.
A speedy start to the game saw a penalty shot for Manchester as early as the second minute.
The shot was taken by Cristiano Ronaldo but the Portugese player's nerves showed as he hit the post insteed.
Three corners where taken by Barcelona one after another all before the tenth minute but the ball did not go through Manchester's tight defense.
The eagerness to score from both sides of the field was apparent from the tempo of the game.
Marquez was cautioned in the 44th minute which means that the Mexican will miss the second leg at Old Trafford in six days time.
Barcelona finished the first half with plenty of drama and action and a staggering 65 per cent possession of the ball.
SECOND HALF
The high drama continued in the second half.
Xavi Hernandez, Puyol's replacement captain, almost scored a goal in the 59th minuted for Barcelona but the shot lacked the power and strength to go through Van Der Saar.
An expected substitution for Lionel Messi at 62 minutes brought Bojan Krkic, the 17 year old Spanion, into the game.
Owen Hargreaves was booked in the 72nd minute for challenging Bojan.
Two mintues later Bojan almost scored a header.
It was a quiet night for Rooney as he did some defending and a quiet night for Manchester who will have to play a better game than they did today in the second leg.
Rooney was later substituted in the 75th minute by Nani for Man U, and Henry replaced Deco the following minute for Barca.
In the 84th minute Tevez came out for Man U and was substituted by Giggs.
Henry's powerful free kick in the 87th minute landed safely in the hands of Van De Saar.
The pressure to produce a goal piled up for the home side and the final whistle came as a sound of dissapointment.
With 21 shots on goal for Barcelona and a mere six for Manchester United, it is no question who finished the first leg as the stronger and more dominant side.
Barcelona have not been beaten by Manchester on their home ground and they saw to it that the record was not broken today.
Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to leave with a 0-0 draw.
It was a game of pure Football from Barca but with no results.
The final appearance in Moscow is a crucial necessity for Barcelona who have long lost hopes in the La Liga.
The results await the only non English club in the semi-final at Old Trafford next week.
Barcelona and Manchester United finished the first leg of the semi-final with a draw at Nou Camp today.
A speedy start to the game saw a penalty shot for Manchester as early as the second minute.
The shot was taken by Cristiano Ronaldo but the Portugese player's nerves showed as he hit the post insteed.
Three corners where taken by Barcelona one after another all before the tenth minute but the ball did not go through Manchester's tight defense.
The eagerness to score from both sides of the field was apparent from the tempo of the game.
Marquez was cautioned in the 44th minute which means that the Mexican will miss the second leg at Old Trafford in six days time.
Barcelona finished the first half with plenty of drama and action and a staggering 65 per cent possession of the ball.
SECOND HALF
The high drama continued in the second half.
Xavi Hernandez, Puyol's replacement captain, almost scored a goal in the 59th minuted for Barcelona but the shot lacked the power and strength to go through Van Der Saar.
An expected substitution for Lionel Messi at 62 minutes brought Bojan Krkic, the 17 year old Spanion, into the game.
Owen Hargreaves was booked in the 72nd minute for challenging Bojan.
Two mintues later Bojan almost scored a header.
It was a quiet night for Rooney as he did some defending and a quiet night for Manchester who will have to play a better game than they did today in the second leg.
Rooney was later substituted in the 75th minute by Nani for Man U, and Henry replaced Deco the following minute for Barca.
In the 84th minute Tevez came out for Man U and was substituted by Giggs.
Henry's powerful free kick in the 87th minute landed safely in the hands of Van De Saar.
The pressure to produce a goal piled up for the home side and the final whistle came as a sound of dissapointment.
With 21 shots on goal for Barcelona and a mere six for Manchester United, it is no question who finished the first leg as the stronger and more dominant side.
Barcelona have not been beaten by Manchester on their home ground and they saw to it that the record was not broken today.
Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to leave with a 0-0 draw.
It was a game of pure Football from Barca but with no results.
The final appearance in Moscow is a crucial necessity for Barcelona who have long lost hopes in the La Liga.
The results await the only non English club in the semi-final at Old Trafford next week.
