Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Barcelona-Manchester United Recap

A surprisingly drab affair at the Nou Camp ended with Barcelona and Manchester United playing to a 0-0 draw. The Reds take the advantage into the return leg at Old Trafford next Tuesday, but it could have been much more. Cristiano Ronaldo was off the mark on an early penalty kick and Manchester never seriously threatened to grab a vital away goal after the initial flurry.

Despite outshooting ManU 20 to 7, Barcelona couldn't find the back of the net. It's a shame not to see the Catalans at full strength; with Ronaldinho out and Lionel Messi recovering from injury, one wonders what this team could have been capable of if their stars were healthy.

Manchester could care less, and will look to book their passage to Moscow at home next week. Given the class they've shown at home in the Champions League, there's no reason to think they won't take care of business.

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