Scholes Stunner Clinches It For United

Manchester United went in 1-0 up at the break after a compelling first half which saw Barcelona start the stronger before a stunning Paul Scholes strike from out of the blue put the Red Devils in front.

That was the cue for United to enjoy a spell of dominance but Barca fought back to wrest control back in midfield with some inventive and technically adept football in which Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Deco all asked questions of United going forward.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had to re-jig his team when both Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic were ruled out, Rooney with a hip injury and Vidic after the damage he suffered to his face against Chelsea on Saturday. Ferguson responded by making six changes to his side, top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo coming back into the starting line-up together with Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Park Ji-Sung. For Barcelona, ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry was named among the substitutes by manager Frank Rijkaard.

Barcelona started well but with four free-kicks in the opening three minutes, it looked set to be a lively contest. The visitors were keeping the ball better than their hosts in the opening quarter of an hour and had the better of the early exchanges.

So it was somewhat against the run of play when United suddenly took the lead on 14 minutes. Ronaldo jinked past a tackle before being dispossessed by Zambrotta, but his attempted clearance went straight to Scholes in acres of space, and the United midfielder lashes his shot into the top corner from 25 yards with Victor Valdes grasping at fresh air.

Five minutes later, Messi had a goal from 25 yards also, following a pulsating run from midfield, but Edwin van der Sar got down and well and got a hand to the ball, pushing it away from danger.

Ronaldo then showed skill on the left, bring the ball down, looking up and playing a perfect ball into the path of the advancing Park who met it on the edge of the area but side-footed it first-time narrowly wide of the far post.

When Yaya Toure lost possession in midfield, Nani played the ball to Park who elected to pass to Scholes rather than try a shot himself. Scholes couldn't get to get to it, but it was scrambled clear, only ass far as Tevez whose cross had Valdes scrambling to palm the ball away.

Barca, regaining their composure, began to reassert themselves and Iniesta went on a mazy run into the United penalty area before squaring the ball to Eto'o, who tees up Deco for a curling shot from the edge of the area that was just over.

Then Messi cut in from the right, beat off a couple of challenges, and played in Abidal on the left, but the cross was a disappointment and United cleared.

With Barca enjoying good possession again, Deco had another half-chance but fired just wide of the near post from 20 yards. A goal for Barca at that stage would have completely changed the balance of the tie. They nearly got one when Van der Sar spilled Messi's cross at Eto'o's feet and was then relieved to see Evra's vital challenge prevent an equaliser. The incident left the Dutch keeper groggy and needing attention but he was OK to continue after treatment.

United nearly struck again when Nani just failed to make contact with a superb cross from Park.

The half ended with United looking a bit punch-drunk at the back and happy to make the sanctuary of the dressing room with their goal intact.

Barca began the second half by putting United under renewed pressure, but Zambrotta tripped Evra to earn the first yellow card of the match, and Deco joined him in the book for a lunge at Park after United had appealed unconvincingly for a hand-ball in the Barca penalty area.

The excellent Messi's influence was growing as he showed off his dribbling ability by jinking into United's are before scuffing his shot wide. And at the other end, a slick one-two between Tevez and Ronaldo produced a shot from the Argentine star that was beaten away by Valdes for Puyol to hammer to safety.

Henry replaced Iniesta on 61 minutes in Rijkaard's first change, before Messi broke forward down the middle only to be tripped by Carrick, who was promptly booked. Deco's free-kick from distance took a deflection and spun just wide of United's goal for a corner.

Toure shot well wide from 35 yards, Ronaldo earned a booking for fouling Zambrotta, then Toure brought down Park to collect a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the final.

A rash back pass by Henry gifted United a corner which Carrick headed wide before 17-year-old prodigy Bojan replaced Eto'o, and the irrepressible Messi nearly found Xavi with an astute through-ball as Barca continued to search for the elusive equaliser. Messi, in dazzling form, again waltzed into the United area and it took two Red Devils to unload him.

Nani was replaced by Ryan Giggs and scorer Scholes by Darren Fletcher with 13 minutes to go, but when Messi earned a corner, it was met by Henry, whose header was straight at van der Sar and a great Barca chance went begging. United broke forward and Ronaldo cut in from the right and let fly but dragged his effort wide of the near post, then Henry curled in a shot from the left side of the area that van der Sar dealt with well.

Tevez was working his socks off, setting a terrific example to his team-mates by defending every ball from the front as United looked to hold on to their lead. Rijkaard replaced Toure with Gudjohnsen and almost immediately a long ball into the area found Bojan, but the youngster’s control wasn’t sharp enough to let him get a shot in.

Puyol slid a teasing low cross into the area which the excellent Wes Brown got a crucial touch on to clear it, but only as far as Puyol whose second cross was again cleared to United’s relief. Ferdinand then blocked Gudjohnsen’s shot as Barca kept coming in stoppage time, but with the Old Trafford crowd baying for the final whistle, they got their wish and United will be in Moscow for the final in three weeks’ time.

Teams:

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra, Park, Scholes, Carrick, Nani, Ronaldo, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Giggs, O'Shea, Fletcher, Silvestre, Welbeck

Barcelona: Valdes, Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Abidal, Toure Yaya, Messi, Xavi, Deco, Iniesta, Eto'o.
Subs: Pinto, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Edmilson, Sylvinho, Thuram, Bojan


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