FC Barcelona have won the quarter-final first leg in the Champions League 1-0 (1-0) at Manchester United. The only goal scored Luke Shaw by own goal. The second leg will take place on the 16th of April.
To say that Barcelona was superior at the beginning is a strong understatement. Barça had a ball possession rate of 90 percent until 1-0, 96 percent of all passes came to the teammates. The same goes for Sergio Busquets on Lionel Messi in the 13th minute.
Messi took the ball in the box and crossed to the second post. There, waiting for his storm buddy Luis Suárez, whose header was deflected from an acute angle by United defender Luke Shaw into his own goal.
After that there was a break in Barcelona's dominance. A series of mistakes, especially by the otherwise so-secure Busquets, brought Manchester something better into play. The first shot was from Marcus Rashford (21 minutes), but the ball went over the goal.
REUTERS
Messi is being treated
A shocking second Barcelona experienced after 30 minutes: Messi got the hand of Chris Smalling in the face and bleeding to the ground, the Argentinian could continue to play but slightly scorched after treatment. His colleagues on the offensive developed shortly thereafter a great opportunity to 2: 0. Suárez conceded a long pass against two Manchester players and shielded the ball until Philippe Coutinho moved up. United's goalkeeper David de Gea parried the Brazilian's shot (36 ').
In the second half Manchester was better from the start, but that did not go hand in hand with chances. Both teams made a lot of mistakes for a quarter-final of the Champions League. And so the many flanks of the hosts were all too inaccurate.
Barcelona held back significantly - but had the best chance of the second half after 65 minutes by Suárez. Right-back Nelson Semedo stuck to the penalty area on the Uruguayans, but the shot went only to the outside net. Messi scored a free-kick under the wall on the United goal, but de Gea had no trouble with that (83.).
Manchester United - FC Barcelona 0: 1 (0: 1)
0: 1 Shaw (13th, own goal)
Manchester: De Gea - Lindelof, Smalling, Shaw - A. Young, Diogo Dalot (74th Jesse Lingard) - Fred, McTomay, Pogba - Rashford (85th Andreas Pereira), R. Lukaku (68th Anthony Martial)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen - Nelson Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba - S. Busquets (90th + 3 Carles Alena) - Rakitic, Arthur (66th Sergi Roberto) - Messi, Coutinho (66th Arturo Vidal) - Suarez
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
Yellow Cards: Shaw, Smalling, Lingard - Busquets, Vidal