Champions League: Man u - Barcelona (2nd Leg)

Barcelona looked strong at the outset, attacking and controlling much of the possession. The return of Carlos Puyol saw the back four more confident and in control, passing the ball well and allowing the midfield to be creative and control the pace of the game. But Manchester United are such a brilliant team, all it took was a poor clearance at the back which fell to Paul Scholes, who settled the ball dribbling forward and crushed a volley from well beyond the eighteen yard box, a real cracker that curled right, above Valdes' head, which was turning in disbelief. Following the goal, Manc U seemed more in control, pushing forward, hungry for the second goal having drawn first blood. Messi had a great shot, cutting inside from the right wing, beating Evra and hooking a shot toward the far post, which Van der Sar was equal to. Barcelona's attacking flair continued, and Van der Sar had to step in to claim some balls, taking a knee to the face from Wes Brown and another kick later in the first half. He called for a trainer in the 39th minute and looked as if he might come off. With Kuszczak on the bench, Ferguson knows he has another solid keeper available. An attack late in the first half saw Messi beat two defenders and play a one-two with Deco but Rio was all the wiser, beating Messi to the ball over the top and clearing the ball to safety. The half ended 1-0, with wily Paul Scholes the difference maker. We'll see which of the tacticians makes a change, I wouldn't be surprised to see Iniesta come off for Henry. Could be interesting to see how Thierry does against some of his old rivals.