REPORTE BARCELONA VS MANCHESTER UNITED

Report: Barca 0 United 0Cristiano Ronaldo missed a second-minute penalty as United held Barcelona to a goalless draw in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, first leg.

The Portuguese winger blazed wide from 12 yards after Gabriel Milito had been penalised for handball, while Michael Carrick smashed a shot into the side netting with the Reds’ best second-half opening.

Samuel Eto’o wasted Barca’s best opportunity as a superb defensive display from Sir Alex Ferguson’s side neutralised the Catalans’ potent attack.

The prudent nature of the first leg could well have been blown out of the water as early as the second minute, however, had Ronaldo converted a golden opportunity from the penalty spot.

From a Wayne Rooney corner, Milito blocked Ronaldo’s diving header with his hands, and referee Massimo Busacca immediately awarded the spot kick.

After lengthy protests from the home side, the Portuguese winger placed the ball on the spot, adopted his trademark stance, sidled up and sidefooted his effort off target.

A huge let off for Barca, and a missed opportunity for United. Despite that glorious early opening, the game failed to descend into the anticipated slugfest where both sides would wantonly deploy their rich attacking arsenals.

With the stakes so high, the two teams opted instead to remain at arm’s length. Barca cagily probed with more attacking intent, while United reverted to the initial gameplan of containment and countering.

On one of United’s rare forays into enemy territory, just before the half-hour mark, referee Busacca could very easily have given Ronaldo a second chance from the penalty spot.

Seizing on a slack pass from Andres Iniesta, the 23-year-old burst through on goal, only to have his route unceremoniously blocked by Rafael Marquez, who showed little interest in playing the ball.

Busacca quickly waved away the claim, however, much to the delight of the home contingent. Ronaldo, already frustrated by his earlier miss from 12 yards, could scarcely believe the decision.

At the other end, Wes Brown was alert to block a goal-bound shot from the ever-dangerous Eto’o, while Edwin van der Sar comfortably clutched a low 25-yard free kick from Deco.

In the first half’s final act, Ronaldo was again tripped by Marquez. This time the foul was given, outside the area, and the Mexican was punished with a yellow card which rules him out of next week’s return leg. From the free kick, Ronaldo curled his effort a yard wide of the far post.

The second half started in the same vein as the first had ended, with Barca probing without genuine purpose – although Gianluca Zambrotta saw a speculative 30-yard effort fly just over van der Sar’s crossbar.

Four minutes after the break, United were indebted to the defensive backtracking of Carrick. Eto’o skipped away from Rio Ferdinand’s lunging challenge and pulled the ball back for Lionel Messi 10 yards from goal, but Carrick brilliantly intercepted the cross and hoofed it to safety.

That opening sparked a brief, flurried exchange from both sides. Lovely slick interplay from Messi and Xavi fed Eto’o, who fired wastefully wide, before Carrick engineered space for himself on the left side of the area before firing high into the side netting.

Xavi went one better just before the hour mark, hitting the target with a powerful effort from 20 yards, but van der Sar contorted well to hold the Spaniard’s low, deflected shot.

The Catalan crowd were growing in confidence as their side showed more attacking intent, but were dealt a huge blow when Messi was withdrawn with an injury after 62 minutes.

The Argentine, a victim of recurring thigh problems throughout his burgeoning career, was replaced by Croatian teenager Bojan Krkic – himself something of a star in the making at the Nou Camp.

Although the man billed as Barca’s most likely threat to United had left the fray, the Reds still struggled to gain a creative foothold in the game. Sir Alex’s men defended stoutly, but could impact little on a home defence missing suspended skipper Carles Puyol.

With United so resolute at the back, pot-shots were Barca’s best hope of establishing a lead. Substitute Thierry Henry and Iniesta both tried their luck from distance, but found van der Sar equal to their efforts as the game wound towards its climax.

Amid the pre-match fervour of two of world football’s most talented attacks coming together, the word ‘caution’ rarely surfaced in conversation. Those who sat down to gorge on a feast of attacking football will not have been satisfied. With 90 decisive minutes to come in Manchester next Tuesday, however, it’s safe to assume that the second course will be a far tastier affair.

United will be regarded as having a slender advantage going into the match and, with a baying home crowd behind them, the scene is set for Old Trafford to roar the Reds to Moscow.

FC BARCELONA: Valdes; Zambrotta, Marquez, Milito, Abidal; Deco (Henry 77), Toure, Xavi; Messi (Krkic 62), Eto’o, Iniesta
Subs not used: Pinto, Gudjohnsen, Sylvinho, Giovani, Thuram
Booked: Marquez
MANCHESTER UNITED: Van der Sar; Hargreaves, Brown, Ferdinand, Evra; Rooney (Nani 76), Carrick, Scholes; Park, Ronaldo, Tevez (Giggs 85)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Anderson, Pique, O’Shea, Silvestre
Booked: Hargreaves