[bernieuche]

i was listening to the commentators and yes ronaldo didn't play his best game but he didn't play his worst either. He simply wasn't getting the ball. Barca forced the ball to messi as if to say they depended on his touch. For ronaldo to get a ball it had to be a ball over the top for him to chase. He defended well too. Towards the end he made two vital clearances.
Anyways thanks to Scholes. I criticised his selection, i wont say he proved me wrong but i will say he made me a happy united fan
GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED

[reddwarf]

Oh yes...OH YES...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've done it!

What a goal by Scholes! Another fantastic defensive display. Tevez was brilliant.

United are going to Moscow. Get in!!!

[red_devils4life]

Manchester United 1-0 FC Barcelona

Manchester United battled their way into the Champions League final with a one-nil victory over Barcelona in a thrilling contest at Old Trafford which showcased the Catalan side’s excellent technical ability but saw United stand firm after Paul Scholes fired them ahead to book their date with destiny.

Two Argentines, Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, illuminated the match with their contrasting talents, but United had Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand in imperious form at the back and Barca just couldn’t find a way through.

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. Still, it wasn't enough.

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.

First Half

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 lashed his shot into the top corner from 25 yards with Victor Valdes grasping at fresh air.

Five minutes later, Messi had a goal-bound shot from 25 yards 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, shrugged 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.

Second Half

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

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

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)

[Zenitka]

Good game....But if Barsa scored in the end... I would die

[versa]

I am glad we had to play for a win and won. Some lesson to be learnt here?

[Drew9]

yesss something to learnt is that we are the best side to go out for the win, does not suit us sitting back we wont be doing that again in a hurry

[Jodz]

What a fantastic night to wrap up a bad day for me. I'm really delighted.

Come on United. 90 minutes to Glory.

Glory Glory Man United

[Nemanjaaa]

Why we need all that info ^^^ ?

And what a great game im sure every fan could feel the tension it was unbelievable, lets hope Liverpool go out tonight as well double whammy

Lets get revenge on Chelski :angry:

[versa]

Source: Belfast Telegraph
By James Lawton, Wednesday, April 30, 2008


The issue was always going to revolve around Sir Alex Ferguson's assertion that he had "boys" he could trust to carry him on the last steps of the road to Moscow.

It was a big leap of faith, considering how United lost their way on the Fulham Road at the weekend, but then maybe the boy he had most in mind came fresh to the night that would shape Manchester United's season.

Maybe the boy was Paul Scholes, who so often finds the best of himself when the stakes are highest. He has, of course, been doing it for a long time now and if his legs feel heavier on some days than others as he pushes into his thirties, there is still never a question mark against his instincts or his nerve.

Last night it was Scholes, and some almost surreal defensive vision from Rio Ferdinand, which kept United alive in the face of the mesmerising facility of Lionel Messi.

Scholes insisted that before the lights of his career go out, he must go to Moscow. Whenever the Argentine prodigy touched the ball, the crowd booed. It wasn't disrespect or displeasure or any accusation of dark intent. It was pure terror, and if it is hard to know how deeply the United players felt the same level of apprehension as Messi bore down on their goal, twisting, biting, and once drawing a fine save from Edwin van der Sar, we could be sure of the value of Scholes' intervention in the 14th minute.

It was a strike from 25 yards, after Gianluca Zambrotta had played the ball off Cristiano Ronaldo's feet into Scholes' path, that did more than bring the Kremlin wall into focus. It broke, for a life-preserving breathing space, the spell of Messi. No one demonstrated the importance of this more than Scholes inside the first minute. Overwhelmed by a combination of speed and guile, Scholes lunged into the tackle. He has never claimed flawlessness in this department of the game and his salvation here was that the crunch came not much more than an inch outside the penalty area.

The implications of a Barça strike on United's psyche were not pretty to contemplate at such an early point of the proceedings and it was as though the entire stadium produced a collective gulp. Messi was that dominant as the focal point of attack in a Barcelona who once again seemed intent on passing United to the verge of a coma. Scholes' strike broke that sense that United were condemned to another night of marking shadows and hoping, against the odds, that something would turn up.

Of course, Scholes turned up with a superb sense of what he had to do. He did it with a beautifully flighted shot that didn't so much lift the pressure as inject new life. Nani twice and quickly had chances to throw Barcelona back on their heels, but each time the chances were missed. It meant that United needed superb defence, especially from Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, who once again was obliged to face down the relentless running and trickery of Messi.

He did it with superb application, if not always with complete success, but as the minutes ticked away the tension so near to a runway to Moscow became so heavy it seemed that United's nerve had never been so stretched, for so long and so desperately, since they won the great trophy against Bayern Munich at Barça's Nou Camp nine years ago.

Messi refused to stop his quest and in stoppage time remained a one-man source of agitation to Ferguson's heart.

Ronaldo? The man whose absence from the vital Premier League challenge at Stamford Bridge caused so much tactical debate, so much questioning of Ferguson's judgement, was in truth not much more than a spectator. If destiny called to him, it found that on this occasion he wasn't at home. However, he lived through the siege of Messi, like all his team-mates,and now he has the chance to decorate his image in the biggest game in club football. George Best, the player with whom the Portuguese is most frequently compared, had a similar opportunity 40 years ago, and he took it with a vital performance.

This is now the obligation on England's footballer of the year. Last night his rival Lionel Messi produced more than 90 minutes of relentless commitment, but he couldn't find the moment that broke United. He threatened it a score of times. He moved with balance and trickery, and if he could have picked up his team and carried it across the line he surely would. But that was beyond him, he did not have the break or the help that at vital moments were so desperately required.

The job went to a man from the other side who had at least one last shot to fire. His name, perhaps not to the total surprise of his manager, was Paul Scholes.


Semi-conscious Manchester United's European Cup semi-finals

Manchester United's match with Barcelona last night completed their 10th semi-final in Europe's premier club competition. Of the previous nine United advanced to the final on just two occasions, once under Matt Busby in 1968 and also under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999. In both years the Red Devils went on to lift the trophy.

1957
Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 1; Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 2 (lost 5-3 on aggregate)

1958
Manchester United 2 Milan 1; Milan 4 Manchester United 0 (lost 5-2 on aggregate)

1966
Partizan Belgrade 2 Manchester United 0; Manchester United 1 Partizan Belgrade 0 (lost 2-1 on aggregate)


1968
Manchester United 1 Real Madrid 0; Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 3 (won 4-3 on aggregate)


1969
Milan 2 Manchester United 0; Manchester United 1 Milan 0 (lost 2-1 on aggregate)


1997
Borussia Dortmund 1 Manchester United 0; Manchester United 0 Borussia Dortmund 1 (lost 2-0 on aggregate)


1999
Manchester United 1 Juventus 1; Juventus 2 Manchester United 3 (won 4-3 on aggregate)


2002
Manchester United 2 Bayer Leverkusen 2; Bayer Leverkusen 1 Manchester United 1 (drew 3-3 on aggregate; lost on away goals)


2007
Manchester United 3 Milan 2; Milan 3 Manchester United 0 (lost 5-3 on aggregate)

[THODORIS(THE RED THEO)]

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!in the final one more time!!!!!!the cup is ours!!!!make us crazy united!!!!!!paul my congratulations!!