Manchester United became the fourth team to knock FC Barcelona out of the European Cup after the Blaugrana have been beaten twice before by Real Madrid and once each by Leeds United and Valencia.
It was Barça's tenth semi final appearance in their history in the elite club competition and had the worst possible ending as a single goal from Paul Scholes was enough to separate the two teams.

Madrid

The first time that Barcelona tasted defeat at the semi final stage came in 1959-60. Helenio Herrera was in charge of the Catalan team when they were drawn against a Real Madrid team containing Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas. After losing 3-1 in the first leg in the Bernabéu, Barcelona were then defeated by the same scoreline at Camp Nou and, despite winning the league, Herrera left the club. A year later Barça redeemed themselves by becoming the first team to beat Madrid in European competition.

Leeds spoil Sant Jordi

In 1961, Barcelona reached the final by beating Hamburg, but they then had to wait another 14 years before reaching the last four of the competition. In 1975 Rinus Michels led the club to that stage only to beaten 2-1 by Leeds United at Elland Road before being held to a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou on Sant Jordi's Day. Manolo Clares equalised after Allan Clarke had scored for the English side but it was not enough.

Valencia ends the run

Success in the 1986 semi final against IFK Gothenburg was followed by progress from the pool in 1992 and then the win against Porto in 1994 saw the Blaugrana reach three finals out of three after making it to the last four. Then in 2000, Valencia broke that run when chalked up a 4-1 win in Mestalla to given the Blaugrana no chance of coming back. Soon after Josep Lluis Nuñez stepped down as president and Louis van Gaal ended his first stint as coach.

Madrid again

Two years later and Barça forged their way through yet again only to be paired with their traditional rivals Real Madrid. On April 23, they were beaten 2-0 in Camp Nou thanks to goals from Zinedine Zidane and Steve McManaman, despite Barça hitting the post twice. A draw in the Bernabéu meant that the Blaugrana were eliminated.

 
FC Barcelona's Champions League campaign came to an end on Tuesday evening and once again the club's destiny in the competition was marked by a tie against a team from the English Premier League.
Both joy and sadness has come in matches against teams from England in recent seasons, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all being involved in writing their names into the Blaugrana history books for one reason or another.

Arsenal

On the positive side for Barça, May 20, 2006 will always be remembered as the day that Frank Rijkaard's team defeated Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris. Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti scored to give the Catalan outfit a 2-1 win over Arsène Wenger's side.

Chelsea

Since Rijkaard took over the reins at Barça in 2003, English teams have had more of a negative influence however. In the Dutchman's first season in the Champions League, in his second year, José Mourinho's Chelsea defeated them.

The aggregate score was 5-4 to the Blues. After winning the first game 2-1 in Camp Nou, Barça let in three early goals to fall behind at Stamford Bridge before Ronaldinho netted twice to draw the Blaugrana level. It was not to be the visitors' night though as John Terry netted a decisive winner in the second half.

Liverpool

Last season Liverpool defeated Barcelona in the quarter finals of the competition. Rafa Benítez's team won 2-1 in Camp Nou thanks to goals from Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise was enough to see the Merseyside outfit through on away goals after Eidur Gudjohnsen Barça victory in the second leg at Anfield.

Manchester United

This season, Manchester United put paid to Barcelona's dreams of reaching the final in Moscow. After a goalless first game in Catalunya, a single effort from Paul Scholes gave the Premier League team victory in the match at Old Trafford and in the tie.

 
The return leg of the Champions League semi-final between the English and the Catalans is surrounded by facts and figures.
- After the 0-0 draw at Camp Nou, European Cup matches between Manchester United and Barça stand at one victory for Barcelona and four draws.

- Nine Barça players have already played at Old Trafford: they are Henry, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Sylvinho, Deco, Iniesta, Puyol, Zambrotta and Thuram.

- Xavi made his European debut in the Theatre of Dreams in the 1998/99 season when Barça drew three all in the group stage.

- In Henry ’s case, he first played in Manchester with Monaco in 1998 and helped to knock out the Red Devils after a 0-0 draw in the Principality.

- In fact drawing 0-0 away is not a good omen for Manchester United, as they have been knocked out of Europe on the previous three occasions it has happened.

- Veteran Paul Scholes played his first international game for United in the 2-2 draw with Barça in 1994.

- The Red Devils are on a run of eleven straight victories at home in the Champions League and have not lost there for three seasons.

- Barça’s recent record in the Champions League is not bad either: 2 defeats in 32 games.

- Manchester United and FC Barcelona are the only undefeated teams left in the competition, with 8 wins and 3 draws each. Both of them have scored 18 goals and let in 5.

- Cristiano Ronaldo, with seven strikes, and Leo Messi, with six, remain at the top of the goalscorers table along with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard who has also found the net six times.

- Rafa Márquez is the only player to miss the tie through suspension. Barça has three players who are one yellow card away from missing the next match – Milito, Touré Yaya and Messi – while Evra and Nani are in the same boat on the United side.

- The English are hoping to reach their third European Cup final while it would be the fifth for the Catalans.

- The semi-finals have not really been very good to United: they’ve only got through twice out the nine they have contested. Barça, by contrast, has won 4 out of 8 (as in 1992 they reached Wembley after a league).

- The match referee, Herbert Fandel, was in charge of last year’s final between Milan and Liverpool and of the one before last UEFA Cup final between Seville and Middlesbrough.

 
The nearly 4,000 Barca fans at Old Trafford tonight really made themselves heard in the stadium, urging the team on right until the end of a nail bitingly exciting finale as Barca played with great ambition and intensity.
This was the biggest number of away supporters to travel with the team this season and even though their commitment wasn’t rewarded with a win, the fans certainly made an impact at the match, despite being heavily outnumbered by the United supporters in the 75,061 crowd, who suffered right to the end as Barca laid siege to the Manchester penalty area.

In the end, the fans’ model behaviour and devotion to the cause wasn’t quite enough as the magic of Old Trafford again reasserted itself with United winning their twelfth home Champions League game on the trot thanks to Paul Scholes’ first half strike.

Fifth semi final defeat

The defeat was Barca’s fifth at this stage of the competition, having gone out to Real Madrid (1959/60 and 2001/02 seasons), Leeds United(1974/75) and Valencia (1999/00) before United added their name to the list with tonight’s win.

 
Visibly affected by the disappointment of missing out a trip to Moscow, Frank Rijkaard was dismayed at the lack of goals and confessed that this is a very testing moment for him.
Tonight's elimination at the hands of Manchester United came down to one thing. As Rijkaard put it in his post-match press conference at Old Trafford, "they scored a goal. That is the simple reality. We played a great game and all we were missing was a goal.

A time for help

Frank Rijkaard was asked whether FC Barcelona’s elimination from Europe has marked the end of an era, but he made it clear that the only thing people should worry about now is supporting the players through to the end of the season. “We are going through a very complicated and difficult moment” he said. “And what the squad need now is help. The players have to show their character and courage and have to end the season as well as they can. We can come out of this game with our heads held high”.

Courage and character

There are still four league games to play, but the Dutchman is aware of how difficult this moment is for everybody. But he hoped his players could bring out their "character and courage, because that's the only thing we can do”.

He was inevitably asked whether the best solution for the club would be a change of manager, to which he replied that “now is not the time talk about such things. Barça is a big club with people that are able to make decisions and draw conclusions about this season. The team needs help and right now I don’t want to say I don’t want to carry on. It would be different if they told me that it would be better for me to leave. What we need to do now is put all of our character and courage into ending the season in dignity”.

Major disappointment

After coming so close to the final, it was only logical for “us all to be very sad and disappointed. The team did all they could to get their job done, but it wasn’t to be.” Frank Rijkaard then added that they had to “lift their heads up and end the season as well as they can”.

He ended by rejecting suggestions that this team is a failure. “It is all too easy just to attack everyone. This squad has fought, and they deserve help and also respect. We don’t want to reduce ourselves to words and conclusions that will only cause more hurt”.

 
The Barça squad were upset not to have scored tonight and Xavi rued the missed opportunity to create history.
It was a great game of football, but ultimately proved to be yet another disappointment in what has not been the best of seasons for FC Barcelona. The 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford means Barça came frustratingly close to a place in the Moscow final, something Xavi described as “another chance to make history” and he claims that Barça “were better in terms of possession and chances, but it was not enough”.

The following is a selection of some of the comments made by the players after the game.

Puyol

“I think the team worked well in both the first and second legs. We gave it all we could.”

“We were missing a goal and sometimes the ball just doesn’t want to go in.”

“Of course we have to score. They scored one, we didn’t. That can happen, that’s football.”

“It is a shame, most of all for the fans. We have to thank them.”

“It was a very even semi final against a great side.”

“What we have to do is defend the Barça colours with all our strength and be aware of the shirt we are wearing.”

“It is one of the best squads we have ever had, now we have to think about things.”

“We know that in the Cup and the Champions League the team played well, and got to the semi finals, but in the League we have been very poor.”

“When you don’t win titles, it is not a good season.”

Deco

“We created chances but we couldn’t get a goal.”

“In my understanding, the season has been very poor.”

“You have to think that next year we can win again. Everyone needs to have a think about things.”

“We tried, but we didn’t manage it.”

“We played very well today.”

“I don’t think it is the end of any era. There are lots of young, quality players.”

“At least we should find some courage and try to finish second.”

“We are sad, we are sorry about what has happened. It has been a hard season.”

“If Barça have won nothing in two years, then you can call it a failure.”

Xavi

“It was a good game, but that was no good to us.”

“We have missed a chance to make history.”

“We can’t understand it, because we generate a lot of goalscoring chances but they don’t go in.”

“If you don’t score you don’t go through. That cost us the round.”

“I think we were the better team, but that was not enough. We had more possession and chances, but it all proved useless.”

“We had the chance to win the Champions League, and once again we have not achieved our objective.”

“The squad are feeling awful. It has been a poor season.”

“Now we have to bring out our pride in ourselves as footballers and start looking ahead.”

Valdés

“It was not the result we wanted. There’s a lot of disappointment.”

“United played very well in both games, especially defensively. They had the luck of getting a goal in the first half.”

“There are important league games to come.”

“The season is not over yet. We have to keep fighting.”

Iniesta

“We tried, but it wasn’t to be.”

“Our lack of goals has cost us a lot of points and also a place in the final.”

“We are affected by this, but we have four league games to come in which we’ll have to try to finish second. We have to look to the future.”

 
The Portuguese player Deco, who brought off a great game in the first leg, admitted to www.fcbarcelona.cat and Barça TV that Barça had a “lot of possibilities” of going through to the final if the team plays with the “same intensity” as a week ago.
These are the impressions of a footballer who, like Thierry Henry, knows what it is loke to beat Manchester United in the Champions League. Deco remembers that on his visit to Old Trafford, four seasons ago, there was a “special atmosphere” in the English ground, but nothing which could affect Barça negatively. In passing, in the interview with www.fcbarcelona.cat and Barça TV gave the recipe for getting to the final: “It will be a different game and, if we can get past their first line of pressure and play with the same intensity as the fiorst leg, we have a lot of possibilities”.

You already eliminated Manchester United from the Champions with Oporto in the 2003/2004 season. What was that game like?

“The truth is that at home we were by far superior, somewhat like Wednesday’s game in the Camp Nou, and they were lucky enough to score first. I think they scored first but we fought back and could even have won 3-1 or 4-1. In the end we went to Manchester with a 2-1 advantage and they, playing well, scored a goal. And in the end we continued to press forward and in the 92nd minute, we managed to level the score. But I think we were superior overall in the qualifier, even though we could have been out on goal difference.

How do you remember the game at Old Trafford?

“We suffered a lot, because they went ahead. We were better, playing well and controlling the game, we ended up drawing. Although they also had a goal disqualified. It was, without doubt, the most complicated qualifier getting to the final, but also the most emotional having scored in the end”.

Can you compare that United with this one?

“I don’t think they’ve changed that much. All they have now is Cristiano Ronaldo stronger than before. Then he was much younger and wasn’t the centre of attraction, but in general they are still a strong team.

What is the atmosphere like in Old Trafford?

“I think that in the first 15 to twenty minutes they’re going to really push it and try and get the atmosphere on their side, with a lot of pressure. I think if we can handle this initial situation it will be to our benefit. It’s a special pitch, without a doubt, and also a special atmosphere, but this won’t affect us. We have very experienced players”.

You already demonstrated on Wednesday that you could beat them

“Yes, but it will be a different game, in that we will take both each other on in a different way. They will pressure us more, but we will have more possibilities when we have the ball. I think we have a lot of possibilities and if we play with the same intensity as Wednesday we can go through”.

Among others, Leo Messi will have more options of breaking down his wing than in the Camp Nou

“That’s right. If they go out to pressure more and we can overcome their first line of attack, we will have more options and more space and we have to make the most of this”.

Are you worried about not having scored recently?

“We would worry about the fact of not creating. Because when you don’t create it’s more complicated. The fact that we are creating is a good sign for scoring, so I’m not worried”.

 
The football first team has arrived in Manchester. After a two hour and twenty minute flight the Barça party landed in England at 1 pm local time (2 pm in Catalonia).
A Boeing 747 with 250 people on board took FC Barcelona to Manchester this Monday morning. The Barça party, led by club chairman Joan Laporta, consisted of the players, a large part of the Board, journalists and the first fans. Before boarding the plane the Barça players were cheered by numerous fans who had come to see them off from Barcelona airport.

Support from friends and family

Many of the first team players and Board members have been accompanied by friends and family members. Albert Jorquera, who is still recovering from injury, has also travelled to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.

A hundred fans

A hundred Barça fans also flew out on the plane to Manchester alongside the players, directors and journalists. These fans are the first of almost 4,000 supporters who will be in Manchester on Tuesday to cheer on Barça in what will be one of the most important games of the season.

 
Tomorrow’s game will be between one team, Barça, which bases its game plan on retaining the ball and ManU which “needs” to have the ball and has recently been losing it. Ball possession could therefore be one of the key factors in the semi-final.
The semi-final of the Champions League might be decided by small incidents, but the side that can impose their style on the game will be halfway to winning and to do that you have to have the ball. Ferguson said it was a key factor after the game at Camp Nou: “We’re a bit disappointed by the way we moved from defence into attack. That was our big problem or thing we need to improve.”

Aggression and Old Trafford’s size

United’s coach is very much aware that possession is one of his side’s strengths and that they need to get it back in order to beat Barça. “I think we know why it’s happening so I hope to have solved it by Tuesday. We have to be more aggressive when we have the ball,” he said after last Saturday’s game against Chelsea (2-1).

An important thing about holding onto the ball is having space, which means the size of the field can affect the way a team plays. People who’ve played on both pitches say that the one at Old Trafford is smaller but that must be just an impression as the official figures say it is actually a little bigger than the Camp Nou playing surface (Old Trafford measures 106x69 and the Camp Nou, 105x68).

Manchester United have lost possession in recent games

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou, Barça had 69% ball possession against United’s 31%. Although not reflected in the final score, the Catalans superiority was obvious as can be seen from their seven shots on target as opposed to the one by the Mancunians.

United’s last game was against Chelsea and the Red Devils lost 2-1 in a game in which they also had less time in control of the ball (53% possession for Chelsea and 47% for Manchester United) and created fewer chances (five shots for Chelsea and one for Manchester United).

More midfielders in the line-ups

“Barça always tries to get control of midfield and that makes life harder for their opponents,” says Ferguson. In the first leg both sides had an extra midfielder on the pitch, with Iniesta playing upfront for Barça and Hargreaves playing at right-back for Manchester United.

The Dream Team lesson

On 2 November 1994, Barça beat Manchester United 4-0. The Catalans dominated the game from start to finish with players constantly seeking space to create passing opportunities. “That game was big lesson for me, as I learnt the significance of keeping hold of the ball. Until then I hadn’t really got it. It showed me how important having the ball is in European competitions,” commented Sir Alex last week. “In fact I would even say that the reason we won our quarter-final match this season in Rome was because of what we learned that day.”

 
The Manchester United manager thinks that this Tuesday’s game will be “more open than the one at Camp Nou”. Ferguson added that he likes the way Barça plays and concedes that the return leg will be “a tactical battle”.
The Old Trafford press room was the scene for this Tuesday lunchtime’s pre-match Champions League press conference for Manchester United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson and winger Ryan Giggs. Ferguson said he was expecting “an evenly balanced game, more open than the one at Camp Nou, in which either side could win”.

Praise for Barça’s style

Sir Alex Ferguson was full of praise for Barça’s now traditional style of play. “I’ve been watching Barça for years and they never change the way they play,” he said. “They retain possession and really put you on the back foot with all their passing and little touches.”

Open tie

The 0-0 scoreline from the first leg means that both teams will have to play in a different way than they did at Camp Nou. Ferguson thinks that Rijkaard’s team will be ready to take risks, as “recently teams tend to take more risks away from home”, although he doesn’t believe that the Catalans will change the way they play.

Sir Alex also said that Tuesday’s game will be a “tactical battle” and an exciting encounter. He thinks that Barça “reckon they have a chance of winning just like us, but we have the players to put them off their stride and win the match.”

Team doubts

Defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League not only means that Manchester United and Chelsea are level on points, but also ended with two United players injured. Ferguson thinks that both Vidic, with a blow to the face, and Rooney, with a muscle strain in his leg, are unlikely to play tomorrow.

 
The Barça manager thinks that in order to reach the final in Moscow “we’ll have to play our game, hold onto the ball and take our chances.” Rijkaard says the side has trained hard for the match and has even worked on penalties.
Before the team’s last training session prior to the return leg with Manchester United, Frank Rijkaard spoke to the media and set out what his side needs to do to reach the Champions League final on 21 May in Moscow.

What the team has to do

In order to reach the final in Moscow Rijkaard thinks that “we have to score, try to play our game and not let them dictate the match”. The Barça coach added that the team needs to keep possession of the ball and take its chances.

Little things will decide

Frank Rijkaard thinks it will be a “very even game between two teams that are in form. Matches between two big sides are always decided by little things.” Barça’s coach went on to say that “we need to make a big effort to get through, but we are ready and we’ll have to fight and do the business on the pitch.”

Rijkaard relishes playing games like this and is optimistic about reaching Moscow: “We have a really good chance. You have to believe it’s possible and we have the quality to make it happen.”

Ready for anything

The game at Old Trafford will decide which of the two teams makes it to the final of the Champions League. Rijkaard has thought about the possibility of the tie coming down to a penalty shoot-out and says his players have been getting ready for it, though he didn’t say how.

 
In spite of the clouds and rain which have threatened all day long in the Manchester sky, Frank Rijkaard’s men have been able to train this evening in the Old Trafford sunshine.
Old Trafford was the venue this Monday for a training session for FC Barcelona’s first team, which as usual on the day before a game was open to the media for the first 15 minutes. In that time the players did the warm-up and keep-ball exercises that have been a standard part of Barça training sessions for years.

The session this Monday evening is the last before the decisive return leg in the Champions League semi-final kicks off tomorrow evening at 8.45 pm. Just like the first leg in the Camp Nou, the fixture is to be played at a first-class facility.

The grass

As is usually the case at British grounds, the condition of the grass at Manchester United’s stadium is excellent. Old Trafford uses grass treatment systems which are very similar to those employed at the Camp Nou including artificial light which is used to simulate spring-like temperatures.

Media expectation

As happened at the Camp Nou in the first leg, media expectation has been massive. No sooner had they reached the ground than coach Frank Rijkaard and full-back Gianluca Zambrotta spoke at packed press conferences, as would be expected at a Champions League semi-final between two of Europe’s biggest teams.

Both Zambrotta and Rijkaard then did flash interviews for the TV stations which are to broadcast the match in Spain and in Britain.

 
Henry already knows what it’s like to play in Old Trafford having done so in both an Arsenal and Monaco shirt. With the French team, Henry managed to get through the eliminatory against Manchester in the English stadium.
This Tuesday Thierry Henry will play in England again after leaving Arsenal last summer. No-one better than him to talk about this return leg of the Champions League semi-finals, to be played in Old Trafford and which will decide who goes through to the final in Moscow.

What memories do you have of the tie between Mónaco and Manchester United in the ‘97/’98 season?

Very good ones. I remember we played the first game at home and with the goalless draw the people said we were out. But we demonstrated that you can score a goal at Old Trafford and with a one all draw we went through. It was incredible for the club. Monaco is not one of the giants of Europe and to go to the semi-final was incredible and also scoring a goal. It can be done.

What was this game like?

We didn’t suffer. We scored on the quarter hour mark and then nothing, Solskjaer drew and very little more.

Was it a different Manchester United to that of today?

Different, yes, but it was Manchester United. That year they won the Premier. Now we can say that they have more players from outside England. But before they had Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Sheringham. In the end they also won a Champions League in the Camp Nou.

The first leg between Monacoand Man U. ended 0-0 and the people took it for granted that the French would not go through. After Wednesday’s draw, the sensations are different. They are saying it is possible.

Yes. On that occasion it was another game that we didn’t play well. A team that people said: What are Monaco doing here!

We have now shown that giving our all we play well, that we can do it. It won’t be easy because they haven’t lost any games there but there is always a first time and I hope that it is against Barça.

On Tuesday they will create more spaces, therefore we won’t see the same United.

That’s true. We might have more space but they will also create more danger. Here they didn’t play their game, because we played well and we expect something different there.

Did Manchester United surprise with their game on Wednesday?

No, because on occasions Manchester wanted to play but couldn’t. It’s not easy to come here and play better than us. They wanted to but couldn’t.

 
Barça will face the return leg of the Champions League semi-final with only two changes from the game in the Camp Nou. These will be Puyol for a suspended Márquez and Edmilson for Giovani.
Carles Puyol-having completed suspensión for yellow cards-, instead of the suspended Rafa Márquez, is the main change in the list of call ups to travel to Manchester for the return leg of the semi-final of the Champions League. Edmilson will also be there – he missed the game in the Camp Nou through some back trouble-, in place of Giovani

Apart from the injured Ronaldinho and Jorquera, the other absentees from the list are Oleguer and Ezquerro, on the manager’s decision.

Training behind closed doors

Barça trained today, Sunday at midday in the Mini Stadium, behind closed doors. It was the last session before travelling to Manchester, where they will play on Tuesday the return leg of the Champions League semi-final. Oier, the youth team goalkeeper was also present.

Touré Yaya did not appear on the pitch as he received a heavy bruise to his right ankle in the Riazor. The Ivory Coast player recived treatment in the changing room and has been included in the selection without any complications.

 
The Theatre of Dreams will be the stage for the future of Barça at this seasons end. A large number of the Barcelona squad know the ‘Red Devil’s’ territory well.
Old Trafford is, without a doubt, one of the most complicated stadiums in Europe and also the stage on which Barça play their passing to the final of the Champions League. Even given the complexity of this setting, Barça has nine players, who, wearing different shirts in various competitions, know what it’s like to play in the home of the ‘Red Devils’.

At Old Trafford as a Barça player

Xavi Hernàndez is the only player in Barça’s first team who has played at Old Trafford wearing the red and blue shirt. In fact, the mid-fielder from Terrassa made his European debut against Manchester at Old Trafford in the season of 98/99. On that occasion it was a mini league game that ended in a three all draw on the scoreboard. Xavi was a substitute and came on in the second half.

The men with most experience

Thierry Henry and Eidur Gudjohnsen are the two Barça players with more experience of and visits to Old Trafford thanks to their years of playing in the Premier League.

The French forward played his first game in the Theatre of Dreams with Monaco in the season of 97/98, in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Even so the majority of his games at Old Trafford were wearing the Arsenal shirt, the Premiership team with whom he played for eight seasons.

Eidur Gudjohnsen, on his part has also visited United’s stadium many times. As the Icelander played eight seasons in the English League: first two seasons with Bolton Wanderers and, later, with Chelsea.

Sylvinho and Deco

Sylvinho follows further behind, with a total of two games played at Old Trafford. These were during the two seasons he played for Arsenal, those of 99/00 and 00/01. The Brazilian winger has never tasted victory in the British teams home ground, as these games ended one in a draw and the other, in defeat.

While playing in Porto’s ranks, Deco played in the fourth round against Manchester United in 2003/2004. The return leg was played in England and ended in a draw which guaranteed the Portuguese side’s passing to the quarter-finals in the top European competition.

At Old Trafford without Manchester

The Theatre of Dreams has also been the setting for different games in which 5 Barça players have participated. Iniesta, Xavi and Puyol played in the friendly between England and Spain in February 2007; the game was played at Old Trafford and ended in a victory for the Spanish team.
Thuram and Zambrotta played in the final of the Champions League with Juventus, a final won by Milan in the penalty shoot out.

 
The defeat in the Riazor has not taken away a grain of optimism from Sylvinho with regard to Tuesday’s decisive game at Old Trafford. The winger has already changed his ideas and assures that Barça have a great chance to be in Moscow.
Sylvinho admitted during the press conference after training this morning that the team isn’t doing too well in the la Liga but can put on another very different face this Tuesday at Old Trafford. The Brazilian winger is optimistic and thinks they can play a good game at Manchester’s ground and play in the Moscow final: “I understand the people have doubts after the last few league games but in the Champions it’s different. The great game against Manchester last Wednesday didn’t surprise me at all. We know that in a two-leg game we can overcome any team. We did it on Wednesday in the Camp Nou, and I hope we can achieve it on Tuesday at Old Trafford. I think we have a good chance of reaching the final in Moscow”

Change of plan

The team is focused on the Champions now after Saturday’s defeat at the Riazor. Sylvinho has turned the page and is only thinking about United. He understands the doubts created by the team’s recent performances in la Liga but cries out to the pride of those members of FC Barcelona to overcome the adversities: “We are Barça. In recent seasons we have won two leagues, a Champions League, played in a mini World Cup of clubs and have been at the top of the continents’ clubs. We are perfectly capable of qualifying for the final and for that reason we will fight to the end on Tuesday.

Second place in danger

Barça is in third place in la Liga with four games remaining in the championship. Sylvinho doesn’t hide the fact that direct access to the Champions League is in danger and for this reason they have to face the upcoming games with a thirst for victory: “To say that second place is not in danger would be a lie. We have to go all out in all the remaining games. If we can’t win la Liga, we have to fight for second place. We are FC Barcelona and we have to finish the season with dignity and pride and go out and win all the games”.

 
Barça’s rival in the Champions League lost away to Chelsea today and only maintains the lead on goal average. Two goals from Ballack decided the tie.
Manchester United rested five key players in the decisive game at Chelsea’s ground, where they could have lifted the title of league champion, and they paid for it with a loss that complicates the title for them. With only two games remaining in the Premier, the ‘Red Devils’ and the ‘Blues’ are deadlocked at the top of the classification, with Ferguson’s men top on goal average.

Adefensive United

In the first half we saw another very defensive United. Chelsea were in control of the game and created the only two clear chances. First a shot from Joe Cole struck the post and then, from a perfect header by Ballack came the first goal on the scoreboard, just before the break.

Ballack finishes off

In the second half Manchester United were more ambitious and quickly got back in the game. Rooney made the most of an error by Carvalho to beat Czech. Ferguson then looked for victory sending on Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the five rested after playing the Camp Nou. In spite of this the second goal came for Chelsea, once again the work of Ballack, from a penalty (85m).

 
Riazor was the stage for the debut of José Manuel Pinto with FC Barcelona. The Andalus allowed in two goals in his first appearrance as a Barça player.
Presented on the 18th of January and after 23 appearances as a substitute he made his first appearance with a Barça shirt in the Riazor. He played from the start in a game in which Barça came out without many of their usual starting eleven, either through suspension or because Rijkaard had given them a rest after many games in a row.

His statistics

Barça’s number 13 didn’t have the dreamed of debut, Barça having lost 2-0. But in the individual count Pinto completed a serious game under the bars and took part on 26 occasions. The goalkeeper made three good stops and stopped five attacks from the locals, whilst also knocking away three balls.

 
Although accepting that the first was “fairly equal”, Rijkaard assured that Depor had earned the victory. The manger thinks that the defeat is a consequence of many factors.
“The first half was fairly equal, but in the second we dropped a gear and they made the most of it”. That is how Frank Rijkaard summed up this Saturday’s game in the Riazor where Barça fell, defeated. The Dutchman added that “Deportivo deserved the victory.

Several factors

Rijkaard recognised that the slow rhythm the team showed in the second half is a consequence of several factors. For Rijkaard this Saturday they paid the price for “Wednesday’s game, the fact that there were players on the pitch who lacked a run of games and the absence of some players.

Moreover, added that during the game “when things aren’t going well and the score is in favour of your rival, the players suffer. They wanted it but there was a lot missing in the second half”.

The lack of goals

This is the tirad game in a row that Barça has finished a game without scoring, after the draws with Espanyol and Manchester United. Frank Rijkaard is conscious that “to win games you have to score goals and this has to be worked at”. And he remarked that “when an occasion comes up it’s important that you score”.

On his side, on the debut of Pinto in a Barça shirt, Rijkaard affirmed that “he didn’t deserve a defeat”

 
The Brazilian Edmílson has admitted that FC Barcelona has to fight now for second place. With ‘La Liga’ practically impossible, the players have to concentrate on gaining direct access to the next edition of the Champions.
The defeat in the Riazor has finished off the options for ‘La Liga’, where the objective now, confessed Jose Edmílson, is to finish in second place. “Lalig is very complicated and we have to fight for second place”, he explained. On this Saturday’s match, the Brazilian admitted that “there have been lots of changes” with respect to previous compromises and he hopes that the team “is strong again on Tuesday”, when, at Old Trafford they play for access to the final of the Champions League.

Below are the declarations of the other players who spoke after the Deportivo-Barça:

Pinto

“I was very calm, because I’ve played many games and I’ve experienced this atmosphere already with Celta. Even worse, because it was a derby”

”I think about playing every week and I never give up hope. I live one day at a time”.

“If only all our games came out like the Manchester United one. The truth is we weren’t at the level we would have liked to be”.

”When a player gets the chance to play, he feels satisfied, but its not the result I would have liked”.

“I’m not so sure that we were thinking about Tuesday. We are giving everything to La Liga, although it is true that we do have a big match on Tuesday”.

“Deportivo played very well and they made us feel uncomfortable on the pitch. But mentally we were alright”.

“The result was very negative”.

”Victor Valdés is a great colleague and has helped me since I arrived”.

“The only remedy is to change our chip. We’re saddened by the result, but we need to turn the page and go to England wanting to win more than anything in the world”.

Thuram

“I think the game changed after the goal”

“Crec que després del gol ha canviat el partit.”

“Before the goal the game was level”.

“I think in order to win you have to score.”

 
The time and date of the next game at the Camp Nou have been confirmed. Barça will face Valencia in the 35th round of Spanish League matches on May 4 at 19.00.
After travelling to Old Trafford (April 29), Barça then return for league action at the Camp Nou against Valencia, a side facing very real relegation concerns. The game will be played on May 4 at 19.00, the second to last home game of the season.

After the Valencia match, Barça have a midweek game with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, initially scheduled for Wednesday, May 7 at a time to be confirmed.

 
The three players will not travel to La Coruña, it having been decided it would be better for them to stay in Barcelona to prepare for the game with Manchester United. Iniesta and Milito also miss the game through suspension.
Frank Rijkaard has decided not to select any of Xavi, Messi and Eto'o for this weekend’s clash with Deportivo de La Coruña. The players will all miss the Riazor game, and concentrate instead on the trip to Manchester.

No Milito or Iniesta

Gaby Milito and Andrés Iniesta are also out of the travelling party because they both received their fifth yellow cards of the season last week against Espanyol and are suspended.

The players that come in after missing the game with Manchester United are Puyol, Ezquerro, Edmílson, Oleguer and Barça B’s Pedrito.

Behind closed doors

The first team trained behind closed doors on Friday at the Camp Nou, in a session which involved Barça B’s Víctor Sánchez and Víctor Espasandín. The two players trained with Rijkaard because they are both suspended for this weekend’s league game with Masnou.

 
Although he admits it is somewhat odd that Barça have failed to score in three home games, Rijkaard feels the most important thing is to “create chances, and the goals will come.”
The last three games played at the Camp Nou have ended in goalless draws, and Rijkaard is aware that “making a difference should be one of the strong points with FC Barcelona”, but “a lot of things have happened this season, like injuries for example, and these things affect you”.

But he also said that “players who score goals give strength and confidence to the team” and that “it is strange, because it is so essential” for Barça to score, and yet they are finding it hard, something that can change with “attitude and desire” from his players, who are nevertheless “creating occasions”, and the goals will start coming.

Important game at Riazor

Deportivo are next up for Barça, and Frank Rijkaard claims this game is as big as any other for his team. “We consider all league games to be important, because we always want to give a good image of ourselves” he said. “It will be an interesting game, and we are going there to get a job done. In short, we are all very keen to play a good game, as our aim is to win as many games as we can”.

No Messi, Xavi or Eto'o

But he was then asked why, if that was the case, none of Messi, Xavi and Eto'o are in the squad, and whether this means he is more interested in the Champions League game at Old Trafford. Frank Rijkaard wanted to make it clear that the some players “need a rest. That is the case with Eto'o, who needs to gain strength, and you could say the same for Xavi. As for Messi, that’s different. Some people are saying he is ready to play ninety minutes, but he isn’t. We have to watch him, observe him, protect him. With the passion for football that I have, I want to be able to watch him play for many more years” said the Barça boss.

He went on to comment that the most important thing, at the end of the day, is his players’ health, and that he needs to “listen, evaluate and then, decide. I understand why some people on the outside fail to comprehend that, but they need to be clear that we are thinking about everything”.

 
FC Barcelona's first team reported for training on the pitch in front of La Masia on Thursday morning with the focus being on recuperation and recovery following the Manchester United encounter the evening before.
Like normal, the players that began the Champions League game, have left before the end of the session. Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gaby Milito, Rafa Márquez, Touré Yaya and Éric Abidal were all present, but Samuel Eto'o was given permission to miss the session while Deco was nursing a blow to his back and did not train.

Edmílson and Oier

Other members of the squad that had not trained this week took part with Edmílson overcoming his back problems, Oier Olazábal being called up from the B squad and Thierry Henry returning after recovering from a fever. The Frenchman trained twice on Tuesday after missing Monday in order to be ready to make an appearance against Manchester United.

Normal session

For the players that did not start on Wednesday it was a normal training day with warm-ups to start and then sprints and shuttles with the ball. The goalkeepers trained with Juan Carlos Unzué after the initial warm-up routines.

The big match

Finally, Johan Neeskens and Eusebio Sacristán, who took the session, organised a small-sided game to end with on a reduced pitch. On one side were José Manuel Pinto, Lilian Thuram, Oleguer Presas, Edmílson, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Bojan Krkic and they played against Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Sylvinho, Giovani Dos Santos, Santi Ezquerro and Henry, who won the game 8-7.

 
Rafa Márquez was delighted with the attitude and character shown by FC Barcelona in their Champions League semi final first leg against Manchester United on Wednesday. "This is the team that we all want to see," he said.
The Blaugrana trained on Thursday morning to recover and the Mexican international attended the press conference to reflect on the game from the previous night. "I am happy about the performance," Márquez explained. "Whoever did not go home happy did not see the game. All the players gave everything they could. In reality it was a question of character and effort and we did well."

Maintaining form

With the tie now carefully balanced, Márquez saw no reason why Barça cannot go to Old Trafford next week and qualify. "If we manage to play like that and to maintain that level then we can earn a good result," he stated. When asked why the team had not been able to play like that at other decisive moments in the season, Márquez pointed to the injury list that Frank Rijkaard had to deal with. "There is nothing that we can do about that now though and we just have to look forward. All we should be thinking about is how to play at the same level as we did against United."

Confident view

The only thing that Barcelona were missing from the match against United was a goal and Márquez admitted that he regretted that the team could not find a way past Edwin Van der Sar, but sought positives in the Blaugrana's clean sheet. "To not have conceded a goal has its advantages. After all, the only thing that was missing from our game was a goal. We have plenty of chances and just needed a bit more luck. I am confident that we can obtain a good result at Old Trafford."

Surprise tactics

Márquez then admitted that he was surprised by Manchester United's defensive display because he had been expecting the visitors to use all their forwards to really test Barça. "Manchester United are a team of great quality and it surprised me a lot that put so many players behind the ball and did not look to go forward more," he said. "After seeing their team line-up I thought that they would come at us, but it was completely the opposite. It was better for us that way."

A different approach

After the negative outlook in Camp Nou, Márquez believes that the Red Devils will be very different in the second game. "In England we will see a very different Manchester United," he continued. "They will come out to put pressure on us and try to not let us play. Also, their fans being behind them will help them."

 
In their three previous visits to Old Trafford, FC Barcelona have obtained a result on two occasions that if repeated next week in the Champions League would see them through to the final this time.
The Blaugrana travel to England next Tuesday for the second leg of their semi final against the Red Devils after the first encounter between the two sides ended goalless.

Two out of three

Barça last played at Old Trafford nine years ago in the 1998-99 season in the group stage of the Champions League and the match was a thriller as it ended 3-3. If the game next week also ends with that incredible scoreline then Frank Rijkaard's team will reach the final on the away goals rule.

Four years before in the 1994-95 campaign, the teams also met in the Champions League on the third day of the group stage and the match ended in a 2-2, which would also suffice this time around.

One result that Barcelona do not want to repeat is the European Cup Winners' Cup game in 1983-84 when United won 3-0 to go through to the next round after losing 2-0 in Camp Nou.

Goalless history

In Europe, Barça have only ever drawn 0-0 at home in the first leg of a knockout tie. That came in the 2000-01 season when the Blaugrana met Liverpool in the UEFA Cup semi finals and were then beaten 1-0 at Anfield by a penalty.

Manchester United also do not have a very good record when the first game has ended goalless. The last three times that this has happened to them they have been beaten twice in the second leg with Monaco in 1997-98 and Real Madrid in 1999-2000 winning at Old Trafford.

 
Three players that tend to do the ‘hidden’ duties in the team stood out in particular for Barça in the first leg of the Champions League semi final, Deco, Zambrotta and Touré.
Barça were better than Manchester United and only needed to score to travel to Old Trafford in a much more comfortable position. The team operated as a unit and the work put in by players like Deco, Zambrotta and Touré was outstanding. Deco was back from injury, the Italian had his best game of the season, and Touré once again showed how important his physical power can be, especially in these European ties.

Deco’s character

Although he had not started a game for two months, Deco had no problem staying out 77 minutes on the pitch. The Portuguese player seems to have a whole new attitude and took the initiative on several occasions after the early penalty scare. In the time he was on the pitch he took part in 115 actions and made more crosses into the area than anybody else in the side (6).

Leaders in steals

Touré and Zambrotta won the most balls for Barça. The Ivorian midfielder once again demonstrated his physical might and made no fewer than nine good tackles. The Italian managed to keep the dangers of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Park away, making eight tackles. These players also made the most clearances, 11 and 13 respectively, a tally only topped by Abidal with 16.

 
Records, previous meetings, statistics. Below you will find all the curious information that you ever want about Barça against Manchester United.
- Barça and United have met in the European Cup on four occasions. Barça are just ahead with one win, 4-0 in 1994-95, while the other games were all draws, 2-2 at Old Trafford in 1994-95 and 3-3 at both grounds in 1998-99.

- Both teams qualified for the Champions League semi finals with almost identical records. The teams have won eight and drawn two of their ten Champions Leageu matches this season and have won all their home matches. They have also scored 18 goals each and both conceded just five.

- FC Barcelona and Manchester United have both won the European Cup on two occasions, with the English side last lifting the trophy at the end of the 1998-99 campaign with a victory in Camp Nou against Bayern Munich. That was their last visit to the stadium.

- One major difference between the clubs is that Barcelona have won four of the eight semi finals that they have played in, while United have been victorious in two of the nine occasions that they have reached this stage.

- Barça coach Frank Rijkaard and Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar played together for Ajax between 1993 and 1995 and won the European Cup and the European Super Cup as well as two Eredivisie titles together. They later worked together with Dutch national team when Rijkaard became the coach. Tonight they meet again as opponents.

- Deco was on the winning Porto side as the Portuguese midfielder helped them to defeat Manchester United in the 2003-04 season before going on to win the trophy that year. Thierry Henry also helped Monaco to beat the Red Devils in the competition in 1997-98.

- Henry has an impressive record against United throughout his career. In eight years at Arsenal he scored nine times against them in 18 games.

- A former Barcelona youngster is in the United squad as Gerard Piqué is hoping to make an appearance against his hometown club where he played between 1997-98 and 2003-04.

- FC Bacelona are at the top of the pile in a number of Champions League statistics this term as they have won the mpst corners, enjoyed the most possession of any team and had more shots at goal than anyone else.

- Xavi is the only Barcelona player to have appeared in all ten games in the Champions League this sason. Not one Manchester United player has been an ever-present for them in Europe.

- The teams have between them the two top scorers in the Champions League this season with Cristiano Ronaldo on seven goals and Lionel Messi with six. Liverpool's Steven Gerrard also has six.

- Carles Puyol misses the first leg through suspension. There are four Barcelona players one booking away from missing the second leg. They are Gaby Milito, Rafa Märquez, Touré Yaya and Messi. On the United side, Patrice Evra and Nani are one card away from suspension. The Red Devils have received the least cards of any team in the competition with just ten.

 
Frank Rijkaard said he felt plenty of tension in tonight’s Champions League semi final at the Camp Nou, and was especially pleased with the way the fans responded.
The Barça manager was both delighted with the way his players performed and with the empathy and understanding he sensed with the fans on the occasion of such a crucial European tie against Manchester United. “I think that the atmosphere and the tension, and that includes the crowd, was fantastic” he said. “It was a top level Champions League match”.

Confident squad

Frank Rijkaard has to admit that a goalless draw “is not a good result” but his general mood ahead of next week’s trip to England is a confident one. “The team worked very hard, they did everything they could to get a good result, and didn’t allow Manchester too many occasions. We wanted victory, but anyway, the tie is still wide open. We are confident and now we just have to be prepared for it”.

“We will get our chances”

The Barça manager did not feel that his players had gone into the game feeling like they were favourites to win, and that “they transmitted good sensations out on the pitch. Some people are convinced that we will be able to make it to the final, even though it won’t be easy. We have to stay serious about this and be organised on the pitch. We will get our chances”.

Manchester United

Asked to review the game, Frank Rijkaard felt it was “quite even” and that the English outfit “was very well organised in defence, while also looking to come at us on the counter”. Asked about the lack of goals seen tonight, he said “the most important thing is to keep creating chances, but at the same time, you do need some of those chances to go in. Now we just have to do all we can to get through the round”.

Penalty incident

Frank Rijkaard was also asked about the second minute penalty incident, to which he was delighted to see the players responded in excellent fashion. He said that “it was a very delicate moment for us. Luckily Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t score. That would have made things very hard. It was one of the key moments of the game”.

 
Barça midfielder Xavi reckons his side deserved to win against Manchester United. He believes they dominated most of the game, and that playing that way, they are on good course for the Moscow final.
With Carles Puyol suspended and Ronaldinho injured, the Barça captain against Manchester United was Xavi Hernández, who felt his side deserved a 1-0 win.

Xavi Hernández:

“We dominated the game. We played the kind of football we wanted to. We had some very clear chances”.

“The fairest result would have been 1-0 to us, but I don’t think this was a bad score because we didn’t let any goals in. Now it will all be decided over there”.

“We wanted to dominate the game. If we do that, we are on the right lines to make the final”.

“At Old Trafford they will attack more. We have to take advantage of that because they will be leaving spaces at the back”.

“Ten marks for the crowd. It is a pleasure to play for fans like that”.

Samuel Eto'o:

“We played our game but the goals wouldn’t go in. We have to believe we can score there”.

“We are at Barça to win titles. We have played at a high level and things should always be like that”.

“It was not a bad result because we can score over there and if we get one, they will have to get two”.

Andrés Iniesta:

“We haven’t scored but the game was always going to be decided at Old Trafford. I am sure we will find more space there”.

“In the second half we perhaps played more vertically. They were very well organised at the back”.

“We dominated the play and the only thing we were missing was a goal to make the difference”.

“We will have to suffer, but we have to remember we are just 90 minutes away from the final”.

“I always try to adapt to the manager’s decisions”.

“We all know what we will be up against there. If we want to be in the final we have to take that final step”.

“They had respect for us. We tried to play our game and we did so well”.

“As for the game at Old Trafford we are going to have to take the chances we get”.

Gaby Milito:

“Of the results we didn’t want this is the best one”.

“We played a good game. We generated good chances to score goals”.

“I will treat the game as if it is my last, so I am not going to speculate about cards”.

“We deserved to win because of everything the team did”.

 
Gerard Piqué could not hide the fact that he is still a Barcelona supporter even though on Wednesday evening he will be doing everything he can to help United to beat the Catalan outfit to earn an advantage in the Champions League semi finals.
"I am a Barça fan, but I will be wearing a Manchester United shirt and I want to win," he said. "I want Barça to win the league and normally every other competition they are in. But they are not playing their best at the moment. We know they have a great team and we will respect them, but at the same time we will not be afraid.”

Feeling confident

The Catalan defendere assured that United will be looking to win in Camp Nou. "We want a good result and we hope to score," he continued. "We are confident and after the last month with no defeats, we have high expectations."

Special feeling in Camp Nou

If he is picked to play in the first leg Piqué admitted that it would be "a special feeling" to play in Camp Nou because "all my family and friends will there". The youngster never played for Barça in their home stadium, but he has appeared there before. "I never did it with Barcelona, but I managed to last season with Zaragoza. I also did so when played for Catalunya against Argentina and I know there will be a fantastic atmosphere."

Piqué joined Barcelona in the 1997-98 season and made his way up through the youth ranks before leaving the club in 2003-04 to join United.

Messi: an old friend

One player that Piqué knows all about is Lionel Messi. "We were 14 years old and we played together," he explained. "He was small. Now he is still short but is very strong to go with it. It will be special to see him again. He has incredible talent and with his speed he is very difficult to stop."

 
Thierry Henry spent Tuesday morning training alone on the Camp Nou pitch in order to be ready to play against Manchester United and is set to join in with the rest of the Barcelona squad in the evening session.
With the first leg of the Champions League semi final approaching, coach Frank Rijkaard has been recovering the majority of his players and now Henry is set to be given the green light to play. The Frenchman has missed two training session because of a fever, but he is now back and looked in good shape as he worked with fitness coach Albert Roca.

After undergoing the morning routine, Henry is now set to train with the first team squad on Tuesday evening and should be made available to be named in the squad for the visit of Manchester United.

Three goals in Europe

This season, Henry has played in eight of Barcelona's ten Champions League matches and scored three goals. Two of those came in Camp Nou, against Olympique Lyonnais and Rangers, while the other was away at Parkhead against Celtic in the quarter finals.

 
Frank Rijkaard and Edwin Van der Sar played together in the final of the Champions League in 1995 as they helped Ajax defeat AC Milan with a goal from former Balugrana star Patrick Kluivert and will now meet again on Wednesday evening.
On May 24, 1995 in the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna some 49,730 fans witnessed a tantalising game between two ends of the football spectrum. On one hand Fabio Capello's Rossoneri side contained such experienced stars as Rossi, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Demetrio Albertini, current Italian coach Roberto Donadoni and the evergreen Paolo Maldini.

The Dutch outfit, coach by Louis van Gaal, though was very young with names such as Van der Sar, Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Jari Litmanen and Marc Overmars all just starting out in their careers. Rijkaard was seen as the veteran of the team that caused an upset as Kluivert netted the winner five minutes from the end.

Van der Sar and Rijkaard spent two seasons together at Ajax and have worked together when the former midfielder took charge of the Dutch national for the European Championships.

Two spells at Ajax

Rijkaard was born on September 30, 1962 and enjoyed two spells at Ajax during an illustrious playing career. A product of the Amsterdam club's unique youth system, he played for the first team between 1980 and 1988 and spent one season on loan at Real Zaragoza towards the end of that spell. His greatest successes as a player came at AC Milan where he won several titles between 1988 and 1993 before returning to Ajax to see out his career. It was at that time that he met up with Van der Sar, who at 23 was already the regular goalkeeper for the Dutch club. Together they won the European Cup, the European Super Cup and two Eredivisie titles.

The national team

After retiring, Rijkaard took up coaching in 1998 and was made Guus Hiddink's assistant in the national team set-up where he experienced the World Cup in France in the same year first hand. The Netherlands reached the semi finals of the competition before being beaten on penalties by Brazil. Edwin Van der Sar played six games in that tournament.

Rijkaard then stepped to take charge of the national team with the country co-hosting the European Championships in 2000 with Belgium. The trainer named Van der Sar in all five games in the final themselves as the Oranje again reached the semi finals before losing to Italy on penalties.

 
Sir Alex Ferguson has announced that Manchester United are going to Camp Nou to win, but does not believe that his side should be considered to be the favourites to go through.
The Scottish coach believes that both games will be evenly balanced with the victory having a real chance to go on and win he trophy.

After landing in the Ciutat Contal, the Red Devils' squad went directly to the Hesperia Tower where they will be staying and Ferguson and defender Nemanja Vidic appeared for the pre-match press conference. The incredible amount of people from the media that were present heard the manager state that in comparison to the last time his side were in the semi finals the current crop "is stronger and the squad is better" and assured that they are capable of anything.

Not the favourites

Ferguson then explained that although United are not feeling any pressure, he does not see Barça as underdogs. "I do not view us as favourite," he explained. "I think that both teams are strong and it will be a very even tie." In that sense, the United boss went on to state that is the reason that he believes that "the team that goes through will have a real chance of winning the Champions League".

Motivation and confidence

Vidic then talked about the high level of motivation that playing in Camp Nou brings out and said that he felt that United "are capable of winning". He continued: "Last year we had some bad luck against Milan, but this season we are stronger and we have a better squad so I believe that we are go enough to go through here."

A great team

The central defender could not hide his admiration for Lionel Messi as he described him as "one of the best players in the world" with his speed "and close control in one-on-one situations". Vidic added that Barça "have a great team and count on players of great quality." He did not want to predict an outcome but was thinks that Barça will certainly "be going out to win".

"We cannot worry about the past"

When asked about the previous meetings between FC Barcelona and Manchester United, Ferguson said that his side would take any notice of what has happened before. "It has been a long time since the last game and the current team is completely different to back then," he said. "I do not think we should worry about the past." Despite that, he did add that the games from 1994 and 1999 were good lessons to be learnt from.

 
Lionel Messi believes that he knows the best way for FC Barcelona to approach their tantalising Champions League semi final first leg with Manchester United. "We need to keep the ball and impose our rhythm," he said.
In front of a packed press room, the Argentinian forward confirmed that he is ready to face the stern test ahead. "I am fine and really want to play 90 minutes now," he explained. "As the game draws closer we will see how things go." Messi stated that he "feels no pressure" ahead of what will be a game that has been billed as him against Cristiano Ronaldo. "It is a match between two big teams, not one between two players," he continued. "We have to think that we have a very good team, not just any one player."

A decisive game

"We are playing for our season in these two games," he then admitted. "It is what we have left as the league now appears to be very difficult." The feeling in the dressing room is one of confidence though. "We believe that we can win the tie. The only thing that can be asked is that the fans come along and support us. We cannot think about anything other than being unified and playing well to win the game."

Praise for United

Despite being optimistic about Barça's chances, Messi was still full of praise for the opposition. "Manchester United are in good form and have some really great players," he said. "But we need to keep the ball and impose our rhythm. Both these games will be very even, I reckon."

 
Frank Rijkaard has said that his FC Barcelona squad are highly motivated for the hotly-anticipated Champions League semi final against a Manchester United side that he respects.
The Dutchman revealed that his "dream" is that the game will make it a magical night in Camp Nou and that Barça can take a step towards reaching the final in Moscow.

"Tomorrow is the time"

With a place in the final just two games away, Rijkaard stated that believes "this can make history". He continued: "This is no time to look back. Tomorrow is the time to strive for a good result in order to allow us to end up going through."

On the subject of whether Barça are favourites, the coach replied: "I do not believe that there is a favourite. This Wednesday there will be two big teams playing each other and we shall who wins."

A game of two teams

Lionel Messi's appearance has been the subject of a lot of interest, but Rijkaard would only say that "maybe he could" play the full 90 minutes. Whether Messi plays the whole game or not, the media have built up the encounter as him against Cristiano Ronaldo, but the trainer does not agree. "It is not a game between two players, it is a game between two teams," he added.

According to Rijkaard, the absence of Carles Puyol through suspension will be noticed. "To make up for him not playing, the rest of the players will have to put in some extra effort," he explained.

On the fitness of Deco, the Barça boss stated that "he is fine" and stated that he worked hard in the previous training session.

 
Lilian Thuram has been recalled to the FC Barcelona squad for the visit of Manchester United in the Champions League semi final on Wednesday evening as Carles Puyol is out through suspension and Edmílson has picked up a knock.
The rest of the Blaugrana squad contains few surprises as Thuram is the only new face included from the game against neighbours Espanyol at the weekend. Puyol is out after being booked in the last European game against Schalke 04. Coach Frank Rijkaard has chosen to rest Santi Ezquerro and Oleguer Presas for the midweek outing.

Last session before United

Barça’s first team squad trained on the Camp Nou pitch in the last session before the game against Manchester United and Edmílson was not present. The medical services informed the media that the Brazilian had suffered a slight strain and joined Ronaldinho and Albert Jorquera on the injured list.

 
Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, is approaching his team’s tie with Barça with respect for his opponent but also with ambition. He says that his team will be on the attack this coming Wednesday at the Camp Nou.

The manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, has very good memories of the Camp Nou. It was here that he won his first Champions League title as manager of the Red Devils in an unforgettable final against Bayern Munich. Plus the Camp Nou has also been the stage for some great matches between United and Barça, even though he’s never beaten the Catalans away from home. Speaking to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, Ferguson thinks that this Wednesday will see a good game between two teams committed to the attack: “In 98/99 we drew 3-3 in Barcelona and 3-3 in Manchester. They were great games. But we also got beat 4-0 in 1994. Those results show that both teams like to play good football and attack. Maybe we’ll see that again in this semi-final. It’d be great.”

Barça’s missing players

Ferguson also spoke about Barça’s irregular performances this season. He thinks that injuries are to blame: “One of the reasons for Barça’s form, especially in the League, has been injuries to key players like Ronaldinho, Messi and Eto'o. They are really important players and it’s made things a lot harder for Barça.” As for Messi, Ferguson reckons that he’ll be playing this Wednesday: “It’ll make things more exciting and make the game more difficult but we can’t come to the Camp Nou in a negative frame of mind. We’ll play our own game, whoever’s playing against us. We’ll be on the attack.”

The Camp Nou atmosphere

Big European nights at the Camp Nou are nothing new for Sir Alex Ferguson as he’s seen a number of them from the Manchester United bench. ”I’m expecting a very special atmosphere. There’ll be almost 100,000 people in the crowd. I don’t know how many tickets we have, but if we had 25,000 we’d still sell them all. The Camp Nou is a tough place to win in. It’s also got a very big pitch and that favours Barça.”

Impressed by Giovani Dos Santos

In the summer of 2004, Barça’s under-16 side played in the finals of the Nike Premier Cup in Manchester, the official World Cup for the age group. Sir Alex Ferguson kept an eye on the young talent from Catalonia and was especially impressed by one of them. “I’ve seen Barça’s matches and numbers 10 (Walter Fernández) and 11 (Giovani Dos Santos) are really good players,” the United manager told Barça TV in the summer of 2004. “One’s Mexican, isn’t he? How football’s changing. Barça signs a 15-year-old and he’s from Mexico. It’s all very interesting. Giovani is a very talented player. I’m sure Barça is trying to create some top quality star players.” This Wednesday one of those young talents, Giovani Dos Santos, could be playing against Sir Alex’s side in one of the most attractive duels on offer in European football.

 
The football first team has been continuing with its build up to the first leg of its semi-final tie in the Champions League against Manchester United. Training today was at the Miniestadi behind closed doors.
This Monday morning Frank Rijkaard’s players trained at the Miniestadi in their one before last session prior to Wednesday’s game with Manchester United. Barça trained behind closed doors in the build-up to the first leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League.

No Henry, Thuram or Edmílson

Henry, Thuram and Edmílson were all missing from the session as were the injured Ronaldinho and Jorquera. Henry still has a temperature which stopped him training this Monday. Thuram was given the morning off by the club and is to train this afternoon, while Edmílson stayed in the gym due to back problems.

The players began training as usual with a warm-up, though Gaby Milito spent the first few minutes apart from the rest of the squad as he worked with a fitness coach. Training on Tuesday

The Barça players will be training again this Tuesday at 7.30 pm. Prior to that Rijkaard and Leo Messi will be at a press conference set for 6.45 pm. After the training session, which will be open to the press for the first 15 minutes, the team will head off for their pre-match hotel.

 
Rijkaard will be able to call on Oleguer for Wednesday’s game against Manchester United after the Barça defender got the green light from club doctors this Monday. That means the only players still on the treatment table are Ronaldinho and Jorquera.
Oleguer Presas has been given the green light after recovering from a second fracture in his left hand. The defender has been sidelined for a little more than a month with his hand immobilised. Oleguer was injured during the training session on 18 March when he received a blow in the same part of his hand which had been operated on previously.

Even though Oleguer hasn’t trained this Monday with the rest of his team-mates, he has been working out on his own at La Masia.

Only two injured

Oleguer’s return to the team means that Frank Rijkaard only has Ronaldinho and Jorquera still out injured. That means 21 first team players will be available for the first leg of Barça’s Champions League semi-final, as Carles Puyol is also missing but in his case due to suspension.

 
Deco believes that Barça has a good chance against Manchester United. “We have to make and take chances and play in the way we can,” he says.
Deco spoke this Monday lunchtime about Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final tie with Manchester United. “Whatever happens over the two games, this team has made history and we want more,” he said.

Anxious to get back

Deco is only thinking about the tie with the Red Devils. After being called up for the squad against Espanyol, he hopes to make his reappearance in the Champions League: “I’m fine, I’ve been going flat out for a week. I didn’t play on Saturday but I’m training well.” He added that “The coach makes the decisions and I just try to be ready. Of course I would have liked to be out on the pitch on Saturday as I always do whenever I’m fit.”

Two great teams

A footballer of Deco’s experience knows what Barça has to focus on in the first leg: “We have to make and take chances and play in the way we can.” The midfielder predicts an intense game with goals and believes that “being the favourites or not makes no difference” as “both we and Manchester United have great teams and we just need to play as we can.”

Understanding Eto'o

When asked about Samuel Eto'o’s comments about his future, Deco proved understanding. “When you aren’t winning, it’s normal that there are changes in coaches and players,” he said. “However, this isn’t the time to be talking about signings and players leaving. The season isn’t over yet; we can still get to the final of the Champions League and no-one wants to do that more than us.”

 
Barça and Manchester United have reached their semi-final with statistically identical records in the Champions League.
Two of Europe’s biggest sides are going head-to-head in one of the Champions League semi-finals. And in fact the Catalans and the English have taken identical routes to get there: the figures couldn’t be more equal.

Eight out of ten

Both teams have steamrollered their way to the semi-finals having won 8 out of their 10 matches so far in this season’s Champions League. As if that weren’t enough, in the quarter finals both Barça and Manchester United won both the home and away legs of their ties. The Catalans disposed of Schalke (0-1, 1-0) while the Red Devils put out Roma (0-2, 1-0).

Unbeaten

Moreover neither side has lost a game so far in this term’s Champions League, drawing the two games they didn’t win. Barça drew in the group stage with Olympique de Lyon (2-2) and Glasgow Rangers (0-0), while United drew in the group stage with Roma (1-1) and in the away leg of their last 16 tie with Olympique de Lyon (1-1).

Same goal records

To round things off, both Barça and Manchester United have been equally forceful in attack and sound at the back. So far they have each scored 18 goals, an average of 1.8 per game, and have the second-best defensive records in the competition at 5 goals conceded, behind only Chelsea on 4.

 
Víctor Valdés is well aware of Manchester United’s attacking strength, and that he’ll have to be on guard against Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Tévez and company.
The Champions League semi-final features two great teams, both with strong attacks.
One of the key figures in thwarting Manchester United’s ambitions will be Barça keeper Víctor Valdés. Valdés declared on Manchester United TV that he was ready for anything: “We tend to analyse our opponent in great detail, especially in the Champions League. We analyse their team play and individual play. We’ll really have to watch out for their attack.”

The first leg will be played next Wednesday in Nou Camp. The Barça keeper stressed the importance of the first leg: “Obviously there are two games, but the key one will be this Wednesday’s.” On the atmosphere he can expect in Old Trafford, he added: “To play in that kind of atmosphere is motivating for any player.”

Full of hope

Barça comes to these two legs focussed on making it to the final in Moscow on the 21st of May. Valdés recognised this, saying: “It’s been a complicated year for us, but we’ve done very well in the Champions League. It’ll be difficult against a tough opponent, but I think we’ve got options.”

Duel between keepers

The duel between both goalkeepers will be worth seeing. With Víctor Valdés at one end and 37-year old stalwart Edwin Van der Sar at the other: “He has great quality. He’s level-headed and experienced. He’s played at all levels and he’s saved his team a lot of points this season.”

 
The squad has been training, focussing on the Champions League semi-finals which start this Wednesday.
Leaving the derby behind, the squad has been training this Sunday morning focussing entirely on the coming Champions League semi-final against Manchester United this Wednesday in Nou Camp. The aim of the session was mainly for post-match recovery, and the players involved in the Espanyol game were the first to return to the changing rooms.

After warming up, Xavi, Puyol, Eto'o and Iniesta left the session, whilst Bojan, Zambrotta and Touré Yaya did exercises on the sidelines with one of the first team trainers. The remaining players, after a few laps, worked in pairs on long passes and did various obstacle circuits.

A kick-around in the rain

The session ended with a short-but-intense kick-around between teams consisting of Valdés, Messi, Marquez, Edmílson and Giovani on one side and Pinto, Deco, Gudjohnsen, Ezquerro and Abidal on the other. Towards the end of the session, the rain made its presence felt.

Ronaldinho, Oleguer and Jonquera were absent through injury, and Henry is still suffering from a fever. Thuram had permission of leave due to a family matter.

 
Andrés Iniesta believes Barça can knock out Manchester United and make it to the final in Moscow. Even so, he believes they need to change their mindset, and return to the strength and effectiveness they have shown in the Champions League.
With the league looking a little more out of reach after the nil-nil draw with Espanyol, Iniesta has called for everyone to focus on the Champions League, and on Wednesday’s match against Manchester United. During a post-training press conference given this Sunday, the blaugrana mid-fielder expressed his optimism that Barça can make it to the final in Moscow on May 21st: “It’s very important for us to get to the final, and we have 180 minutes ahead of us to do so. We can do it, but we need to change our mindset for the two legs, and we can’t afford to give anything away”.

A different Barça in the Champions League

Their progress in the top European club tournament shows a Barça different to their erratic performance in the league, which means that Barça can rise to the occasion when they face a great European team. According to Iniesta: “The Champions League is another story. A good example is that after a terrible game in Seville against Betis, we were able to beat Shalke 04 in Germany”.

One of the European greats

Iniesta had nothing but praise for Manchester United, whom he believes are on top form at the moment: “They have some great players who can shake up a game at any moment. I’m worried about them as a team, but not about any player in particular. They are a great side, and we’ll have to be focussed, but I think they’ll also be worried about us”.

 
Manchester United’s Argentinean forward has stated that the semi-final against Barça is “an opportunity to make his mark”, and that he feels confident that his team will make it to the final.
He’s Ferguson’s second highest scorer, and he’ll arrive at Nou Camp with his morale high after getting the equalizer against Blackburn Rovers in last Saturday’s Premiership match.
Manchester United now has just a three-point lead over Chelsea. In a statement to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, the Argentinean Carlos Tévez said that the semi-final against Barça was “an opportunity to make his mark. It’s a game in another dimension”. Tévez added that the duel between the Blaugranes and the English side was “like the final has been brought forward”.

Confidence in the results

With only three league games left, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United is league leader with a three-point advantage over Chelsea. They face each other next Saturday at Stamford Bridge. The Red Devils are bringing an incredible season to a close. They are unbeaten in the Champions League and in the English league they have only notched up four defeats. They haven’t lost in their last nine league games, and they arrive at Nou Camp full of confidence. Tévez stated that getting a good result was “just down to us”. “If we continue playing in the same way, with the same passion, we’ve got a chance. Obviously it’s all down to us”.

The keys to the semi-final

Carlos Tévez started out in English football in 2006, helping save West Ham United from relegation. Halfway through 2007 he went to Manchester United on loan for two seasons. Known as “the Apache” in Argentina, Tévez has become one of the key players in Sir Alex Ferguson’s game plan, having so far scored 13 league goals and 4 in the Champions League. Tévez has been following the Spanish league and Barça’s results: “They’re coming to the game with a lot of pressure on them. If we get to play in our style, we can make it very difficult for Barça. There are 180 match minutes ahead. Two games to play and we have to be smart. We have to come out focussed and play well in all areas”.

Reunion with Messi

Carlos Tévez celebrated his 24th birthday last February 5th. Having started out in Boca Juniors, he played for Corinthians in Brazil before coming to Europe. He’s not from the same generation as Messi, but they have coincided on various occasions playing for Argentina. Tévez laid a challenge for Messi and Barça: “Let him play. If we beat them with Messi, there’ll be no excuse”. Yet the Manchester United player is full of praise for his compatriot: “He’s from another planet. He’s got amazing acceleration. He’s a marvellous player”.

 
On Wednesday, the unity between players and fans will be crucial in the first leg against the English side.
Coinciding with the celebration of Sant Jordi, on Wednesday we have a world class sporting event. Barça and Manchester United, two of the best teams in the world, face each other at Nou Camp in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. FC Barcelona is among the final four of Europe’s top club competition for the tenth time in their history.

To face this important challenge, the first team players feature in a campaign whose motto is ‘Tots units fem força’ (Together we are strong). The campaign aims to get the fans behind their team, with the goal being a good result on Wednesday to take to Old Trafford. Celebrations will begin earlier, but fans are being encouraged to be in the ground by 8 o’clock, when Barça will come on to warm up.

The campaign will include a radio jingle and a press advert, featuring Puyol, Eto’o, Valdés and Messi.

Festival atmosphere

Along with this campaign, the club will be creating a festival atmosphere in the stadium.
Coinciding with the celebration of Sant Jordi, 20,000 Catalan flags and 36,000 Barça flags will be given out to spectators. As is tradition in big games, a mosaic will be created reading ‘Tots units fem força’. There will also be music outside the ground and large inflatable figures at each goal. It promises to be another night of Barça magic.

 
Samuel Eto’o has explained that if Barça are at their usual level, they “can create problems for United” and their main handicap could be “ourselves”, but he also stated that he was not afraid of the English side.
This afternoon, in an event organised by Ford and RAC1, the Cameroon striker stated that he had “the same respect for Manchester United that I hope they have for us”. Barça’s number 9 said: “Sure United are favourites, but that just motivates me even more, and we’ll see what happens”. Eto’o added that “there’s no better opponent” than Ferguson team, and that it would be great to win with a clean sheet at Nou Camp.

Support at Nou Camp

Eto’o wasn’t worried about the fact he had never played at Old Trafford, and for now he was just focussed on Wednesday’s game. “What we want right now is that the fans come along and cheer us on”.

Less chance in the league

Eto’o recognised that now they have less chance in the league than in Europe: “There are five games left, and we’ll have to see what happens, but we’ll keep on fighting till the end”. Eto’o added that he was prepared to give Madrid the “guard of honour” if necessary, as they are a classic team and they set an example to others.

His future

Eto’o said that he felt good at Barça, but at the same time he spoke frankly about his future: “If next season is the same, and I don’t win any titles, I’ll probably leave Spain to go to the club that makes me the best offer”. He added “the day I don’t feel good here, I’ll talk to the management and we’ll agree on who it’s going to be”.

 
Despite expressing his satisfaction with his players’ attitude and mentality throughout the game against Espanyol, Frank Rijkaard sees Barça’s inability to score as their main problem.
Barça had a great number of chances to score during this Saturday’s match against Espanyol at Nou Camp, none of which were they able to turn into a goal. The Barça coach once again stressed the psychological importance of getting that first goal, just as he did after the previous nil-nil home tie against Getafe.

A matter of confidence

“In football, the ball either goes in or it doesn’t. These days, what counts is the work that the team is putting in. Once you get the first goal, it gives you the power to make a real difference to the score line. Lately we’re working to get that first goal, because once you’ve got it, you feel stronger”, Rijkaard explained.

“We didn’t get on top of things”

Along these lines, the blaugrana coach praised the team’s work in every game they’ve played, but he still feels dissatisfied with his team’s inability to get on top of the game: “The team worked hard to get a good result, but it wasn’t to be. We had a lot of chances, we didn’t score and we were a bit unlucky. Things change when you get a goal. We need to keep working on scoring that first goal. We have to congratulate the team on their attitude and mentality, but we can’t be satisfied because in key moments we didn’t take advantage.

No giving up on the league

Despite the nil-nil draw against Valverde’s men, Frank Rijkaard assured us that his players haven’t given up on the league title. “Giving up isn’t in our mentality. We have to get ready for each match, and try to win all the remaining games”.

Messi and Marquez gaining pace

The Dutch coach also spoke about players like Messi and Marquez, who have recently recovered from injuries: “I couldn’t play all those still recovering. With a few more days work, they’ll regain pace and strength”. Finally, Rijkaard said that Henry had had a fever, and Iniesta had suffered a knock during the game.

Training on Sunday at 11:00

The first team will be training this Sunday at 11:00. Apart from the usual post-match training, Barça will begin the preparation for Wednesday’s clash against Manchester United at Nou Camp.