Manchester United 1 - 0 Barcelona

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Tuesday Apr 29 2008 07:45

Paul Scholes fired Manchester United into an all-English Champions League Final after a stunning 25-yard strike secured a 1-0 semi-final second leg victory over Barcelona.

Scholes, who missed United's last and victorious appearance in the final in 1999 through suspension, latched onto a loose ball and drilled a trademark strike beyond Victor Valdes in the 14th minute of a tense semi-final to secure his side's passage into next month's showpiece.

United will now take on either Chelsea or Liverpool in Moscow after edging their way past Barcelona in a nip-and-tuck last four encounter.

The two sides had fought out a goalless first leg at the Camp Nou last week, but United received a blow before kick-off when key duo Wayne Rooney (hip) and Nemanja Vidic (head) were ruled out through injury.

But the Red Devils were much more of an offensive presence on home soil and an energetic performance led from the front by the outstanding Carlos Tevez eventually saw them home.

Scholes struck after United had endured a rocky start, but after that it was the home side who carved out the best opportunities of the night.Edwin Van der Sar stuck out a strong right hand to divert a Lionel Messi shot following a 20-yard run, while Deco twice lashed rising shots over the crossbar during the first period.

However, Ji-Sung Park should have doubled the advantage midway through the period, but his side-foot effort after arriving onto a Cristiano Ronaldo pull back was inches away from finding the far corner of the net.

Just before the interval, Nani was inches away from diverting a Park cross from close range past Valdes with a glancing header.

Nani also came close to doubling the advantage and killing off the tie in the 53rd minute, but his near-post flick was smothered behind for a corner by the desperate Eric Abidal.

Tevez then stung the palms of Valdes in the 58th minute after playing a superb one-two with Ronaldo before poking a shot straight at the keeper from a tight angle.

An increasingly desperate Barcelona threw on Thierry Henry midway through the half and the former Arsenal striker wasted their best chance of the night after heading Xavi's corner straight at Van der Sar from close range in the 79th minute.

The visitors upped the pressure during a nervous final ten minutes but they failed to find the key to unlock a strong defence superbly marshalled by Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown.

Ronaldo cut in from the right flank in the dying minutes but dragged a shot from the edge of the area the wrong side of the near post as United rode the storm and secured their place in the first ever all-English final in confident fashion.

Live Commentary

90
FULL-TIME: MAN UTD 1-0 BARCELONA (aggregate 1-0)

90
The Old Trafford fans are in full voice now as they roar their side on through the remaining seconds of what has been a really tense second half

90
United are now within touching distance of an all-English Champions League Final against either Liverpool or Chelsea in Moscow

90
Evra requires treatment for a head injury in the United box as his defensive colleagues take a breather - Mikael Silvestre comes on as a late replacement

90
There will be three nervy minutes of stoppage time to add

89
Bojan takes a long ball down in the box but Brown is there to flick the ball away from the teenager - he has been a rock at the back for United tonight

88
Barcelona send on Eidur Gudjohnsen for Toure in a last throw of the dice

87
There's not many fingernails left to chew around Old Trafford as Barcelona look for an opening and United sit back on their slender lead

86
Ronaldo eats up a few more precious seconds with a run down the right flank as he earns his defence some much needed respite

84
United are defending desperately in numbers but so far Barcelona haven't found a way through

83
Tevez snaps away at the heels of Deco in midfield as he continues his lung-bursting performance - he's been sensational without the ball tonight

81
Ronaldo cuts in from the right flank but drags his shot from the edge of the area the wrong side of the near post

79
Henry earns a yard but his header from Xavi's corner drops straight into the grateful arms of Van der Sar - that was a real chance for Barcelona

77
Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher come on for Nani and Scholes - Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for a bit more midfield steel as we move towards the final ten minutes

76
Messi runs straight at Brown on the edge of the penalty area but the United man does superbly to bide his time and strip the ball off the little magician with help from Carrick

75
There's tension in the air now as we enter the final 15 minutes of this massive game - can United hold on?

73
Nani chases back and blocks a cross - he's worked really hard tonight and been so much better than against Chelsea at the weekend

72
Bojan comes on for Barca with Eto'o making way

70
Toure has his name taken for a poor challenge on Park and he would miss the final should Barca make it

68
Ronaldo is booked for the merest of tugs at the shirt of Zambrotta, who has spent much of this second half on the ground complaining

67
Barca already look more of a threat with the pace and power of Henry playing down the middle - he's got a superb scoring record against United too!

65
There is a lull in the noise inside the stadium as Barcelona begin to dominate possession in search of the vital away goal

63
Carrick is the first United player in the book for pulling down Messi 35 yards from goal in a central position

60
Henry does indeed come on for the disappointing Andres Iniesta

60
Nani twists and turns his way into the box but loses composure at the vital moment and lashes a 16-yard shot high over the bar

59
Thierry Henry is being given some instructions on the Barcelona bench and it won't be long before the former Arsenal striker is thrown into the fray

58
Tevez stings the palms of Valdes as he plays a superb one-two with Ronaldo before poking a powerful shot straight at the keeper from a tight angle

56
Ronaldo teases and taunts Puyol down the flank but his cross looking for the unmarked Tevez is headed up and into the hands of the keeper by Abidal

54
Deco also has his name taken for barging into Park in midfield

53
Ronaldo fires a low cross back into the box and Nani almost flicks it in at the near post only for Abidal to nudge it behind for a corner

52
Zambrotta does earn that booking for a late tackle on the tricky Evra

51
Park fires over another quality cross which is just behind Ronaldo and Tevez and Milito clears the danger with help from Toure

50
Zambrotta earns a talking to from the referee for catching Park after making contact with the ball - still no yellow cards though

49
He seems okay now as he flicks a corner clear then chases the up and under to further head the ball away from the danger zone

47
Ronaldo gets to his feet a little gingerly following a strong but fair tackle from Milito just outside the Barca penalty area

46
Barcelona kick-off the second half still needing to score only once to progress

45
HALF-TIME: MAN UTD 1-0 BARCELONA

45
One minute of stoppage time will be added to this first half

44
Gabriel Milito meets a Xavi 30-yard free-kick with his head but can only flick it wide with his back to goal

43
Barcelona are pressing the home side back as we edge closer to the half-time interval - can they hold on to this slender lead?

41
Park picks out a wicked in-swinging cross which Nani can't quite get enough on to flick past the keeper from inside the six-yard box - that was close to being number two

39
Van der Sar requires treatment to a head injury following an accidental collision with Brown while spilling a cross - the veteran keeper has looked really shaky tonight

37
Deco is getting close as he pounces on a loose ball and drags a low right-foot shot wide from just outside the box - Van der Sar would have struggled to keep that out

36
Barcelona are seeing more of the ball now but at the moment their key players - Messi and Eto'o - are peripheral figures

34
Deco curls a rising 20-yard shot from a central position comfortably over the crossbar, but again that's a warning for United

32
Nani is adjudged to have fouled Messi despite coming away with the ball at his feet and the home fans don't enjoy that call from the referee

30
Carles Puyol requires some running repairs to a minor head injury but will be okay to continue after some brief treatment

29
Park is inches away from playing in Scholes with a deft touch on the edge of the box, before Valdes flaps at a Tevez cross - Barcelona do look rattled here

27
Deco and Zambrotta are on different wavelengths as a simple pass goes astray and so far Barcelona have not looked the same fluent side of the first leg

25
Brown does well at the other end to block off a run from Zambrotta as play once again switches from one end to the other quickly

24
Carrick arcs over a dangerous cross which the diving Wes Brown can't quite divert goalwards from ten yards

22
Ji-Sung Park is inches away from finding the far corner with a low side-foot effort from 18 yards after Cristiano Ronaldo held up play and spotted his support run

20
Van der Sar sticks out a strong right hand to divert a Messi shot following a 20-yard run away from the United goal - that was a warning for the buoyant home side

19
Frank Rijkaard is unusually demonstrative in the technical area as his are playing second fiddle at the moment

17
Nani's low free-kick is half gathered by Valdes before being hacked clear as United press for a second with their tails up

15
That was vintage Scholes and only his second goal of the season, but what a time to score it

14
MAN UTD 1-0 BARCELONA: Gianluca Zambrotta carelessly gives the ball away to SCHOLES who takes a couple of strides before lashing a trademark 20-yard shot past Victor Valdes - what a strike!

12
Eric Abidal mis-hits a cross which drifts onto the top of the United net with Van der Sar concerned but covering its flight

11
Eto'o goes for goal from 20 yards but his shot is straight at Michael Carrick who blocks it before clearing

9
This game is being played at some pace with the ball being pinged around from player to player on both sides

8
Edwin Van der Sar makes a complete hash of a clearance but Rio Ferdinand does well to block Samuel Eto'o's cut back - the United keeper has looked really shaky in recent games

6
Hargreaves looks to be getting some joy pushing on down the right flank as United slowly get a foothold in this game

4
United are getting a feel for the ball now as they pass it around at the back in a bid to take the sting out of Barca's fast start

2
Messi wastes the set-piece as he drills it low into the defensive wall in what is an early let off for United

1
Paul Scholes brings down Lionel Messi on the right edge of the penalty area - that was close to being a penalty after a mistake from Patrice Evra let in Barca

1
United get the game underway in front of a boisterous full house at Old Trafford

0
The stage is set for a titanic tussle between two of Europe's traditional heavyweights in this winner takes all clash

0
Aside from the troubled Ronaldinho and suspended Rafael Marquez, Barcelona are at full-strength with Thierry Henry only among the substitutes

0
However, neither Wayne Rooney (hip) or Nemanja Vidic (head) have been passed fit for the home side so there are unexpected starts for Nani and Owen Hargreaves at right-back

0
The semi-final is level at 0-0 following a goalless first leg at the Camp Nou last week in which Barcelona dominated possession but were unable to find a way through a well-drilled defence

0
Manchester United go head-to-head with Barcelona for a place in the Champions League Final at Old Trafford tonight

Statistics

Manchester United

Shots on target	2
Shots off target	5
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	18
Offsides	4
Corners	5

Barcelona

Shots on target	5
Shots off target	9
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	12
Offsides	1
Corners	4

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