Manchester United vs. Barcelona
United started with a pretty solid line up Evra, Brown, Ferdinand, and Hargreaves in the back. Park, Carrick, Scholes, Nani in the middle and Ronaldo, Tevez up top.
Barcelona started with Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Abidal,in the back. Toure Deco Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, in the middle and Eto’o up top
Scholes tripped Messi in the first minute just outside the box. Barcelona supprtors wanted a penalty. But you could clearly see both of Messi’s feet where outside the box. Messi would take the shot. It was a poor effort as it came off the wall.
It looked like Yaya Toure’s job was to follow Cristiano Ronaldo around the whole match. He wasn’t giving Ronaldo an inch.
Van der Sar had a horrible attempt at a clear early in the first half. The ball went to Eto’o, who then dribbled all the way into the 18 but Ferdinand saved the day.
In the first 10 minutes Ronaldo went down at least 3 times, after sensing mild contact and kept asking for a call and all three times the referee, rightfully waved “play on” !
FORGET ABOUT THE CALL AND PLAY RONALDO!
GOAL!!!!! In the 14th minute Scholes fired a scorcher from 25 yards out after a Ronaldo lost the ball attempting to take on the entire Barcelona defence. Zambrotta had a dreadful clear and it landed nicely for Scholes in the middle of the field 25 yards out, and that’s Scholes territory. Valdes never had a chance.
Ronaldo went down in the 17th minute after Milito took his feet out from under him. Even then, Ronaldo added a little of his acting skills flying 3 more inches then he should have.
Nothing came from the free kick.
Messi had one of his signature counter attack runs in the 20th minute. Those runs are his most dangerous, he carries the ball up the right side, takes two or three players this time it was Scholes then Brown, then cuts inside to his left foot right around the 18 and fires far post with the inside of his left foot to curl it around goalkeepers, he has scored several goals that way. But not against Van der Sar. The United keeper pushed it wide and denied the young Argentine.
Ronaldo supplied Park wonderfully but Park could redirect it enough, he came very close but in the end it was wide.
I don’t feel Park has the presence to define a game. Again in the 28th minute, he had every advantage to take the shot, but doesn’t. He looks for Scholes, who had 2 guys on him. He’s a player that will win balls in the midfield and then pass them off, but never has the courage to take a guy on or attempt something new.
Its good and bad.
Scary run by Barcelona. They connected very well and ended with a shot by Deco, but it was over the bar.
Another chance from Deco, Carrick slipped and the ball was left for Deco to take a right footed shot from the top of the 18 but it just went wide.
Van der Sar has a strange moment and doesn’t grip the ball how he should. He leaves it in the middle of his goal box. Brown runs into him attempting to clear the ball, causing the Dutchman to ask for medical attention. Luckily it was just a know on the head.
Ronaldo has another “Ronaldo” moment in the 40th minute, he tried to take on 4 players instead of playing with his team.
Nani came very close to scoring by getting into position for a header, but he didn’t connect like he would’ve liked and it just went wide.
United’s defense was very sloppy, luckily for them Barcelona didn’t capitalized on it.
Half time
No changes for United
Good chance for Nani as Ronaldo put the ball into the middle, but the Barcelona defender got to it first, out for a corner
Good ball from Tevez to Ronaldo down the left flank, Ronaldo tried to return the favor, but Toure interrupted the play. It was a great ball and it would have been a spectacular goal.
Messi miss hit’s a ball after doing a good job of getting into space. He hit it with the outside of this left foot and the ball went way wide.
Tevez had a good chance in the 56th minute after playing a one-two with Ronaldo but Valdes denied him. Great run by Tevez.
Tevez played a good game. He did everything you would expect from him. He was all over the place, challenging more intelligently then he did in the 1st leg.
Ronaldo looked like he was a little more comfortable. I think after Scholes scored the goal, Ronaldo felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. And that mentality of “I have to do everything” was suppressed a little, just enough for him to play well.
Great run by Nani and Ronaldo in the 60th minute. They played off each other well, Nani decided to do it alone and did well, until the shot. It was pitiful!
Henry came on for Iniesta in the 60th minute
Carrick was carded after committing a professional foul on Messi, who was making a run down the middle of the field. Not a bad decision. Messi could be dangerous better to put him down 35 yards out.
Yellow card for Ronaldo in the 68th minute, after yet another scuffle with Zambrota. They went at it the whole game. Ronaldo should have switched to the right side, he was just getting more and more frustrated and losing focus battling with Zambrotta.
Tevez battled and won the ball in the 70th minute, and the crowd loved it!
Toure was booked, and with that yellow he would have missed the final if Barca had advanced
Henry came all the way into his own 20 yards to get his first touch on the ball and he did win it, then lost it to Park, but then won it only to lose it once more, this time for a United corner
This would see the Eto’o as he came off for the young Bojan
Nani and Scholes came off for Giggs and Fletcher in the
Great save for Van der Sar, after Henry redirects a corner kick 77th minute. An ok game for Nani, but a memorable game for Scholes as his goal sent Man Utd into the Champions League Final.
Ronaldo tried one, he took it down the right flank, cut to the middle and fired a shot with his left foot!
But it went wide.
Another dive from Ronaldo in the 82nd minute.
And he fouled Zambrotta again. They were in each others throats all game
Evra went down in the 90th minute, after getting kicked by his teammate and would be down through the 93rd until being subbed off for Silvestre.
The games last play in the 97th minute would come after Ronaldo tripped Bojan on the right flank. Every Barcelona player was in the box including Valdes, the goalkeeper. But United were able to clear the ball and the refree blew the final whistle.
UNITED ARE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!!!!!
Set to take place in Moscow, May 21st 2008
