BARCELONA (AFP) - Lionel Messi pounced on two Manchester United mistakes to score twice and end their hopes of another Camp Nou comeback as Barcelona breezed into the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday (April 16).
After an excellent start, United were undone twice in four minutes by Messi, who first nicked the ball off the careless Ashley Young and then watched as a weak shot from distance squirmed underneath David de Gea.
Philippe Coutinho, in perhaps his best performance of the season, added a third with a curling effort into the top corner and by the end, an outclassed United might have been relieved the score was not more traumatic than 3-0, 4-0 on aggregate.
A dizzying opening spell, in which Marcus Rashford had hit the crossbar, was long-forgotten, even if it could offer Barcelona's next opponents some encouragement.
Liverpool, who take a 2-0 lead to Porto on Wednesday, are the most likely obstacle between Barca and their first Champions League final since they last won this tournament in 2015. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane might feel encouraged.
Instead, United's pair of early errors made this another night about Messi and ensured any faint hopes of repeating the comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, or even the famous 1999 rescue act against Bayern Munich, on this same pitch, were dashed.
Messi now has his 109th and 110th Champions League goals and, potentially, three extra matches to reduce the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo's 126, after Juventus were dumped out by Ajax. Barcelona's fans celebrated that too.
United's coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had urged his strikers to be more lethal here but it felt ominous that even before kick-off, Rashford, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez had hit 42 goals this season, while Messi on his own had 43.
Around an hour before kick-off, Alex Ferguson was on the side of the pitch, shaking hands with Ryan Giggs and sharing words with Solskjaer, the scorer of that goal against Munich here 20 years ago.
They could have hardly have asked for a better start. United were brilliant for eight minutes and could have been ahead within 30 seconds as Rashford raced onto a curving Paul Pogba pass and toed away a shot, which Marc-Andre ter Stegen bravely left to graze his own crossbar.
Magic MessiÂ
Barca were flustered, so much so the crowd even cheered with relief when Arthur Melo played his team's first convincing pass.
Then, Barcelona had their own eight-minute flurry as United almost conceded a penalty, ruled out after Fred took the ball before bringing down Ivan Rakitic, and then did concede, twice, to Messi.
Both could have been avoided, even if Young's turn on the edge of his own box was punished in devastating fashion. Young lunged in to atone for his mistake but Messi skipped away from him, poked it through Fred's legs and then whipped the ball past into the corner.
The second was simpler. Fred and Scott McTominay closed in on Coutinho and the ball spilled out to Messi, whose dribbling shot with his right foot should have drawn a routine save. Instead, De Gea let is squirm under his body for 2-0.
Pogba lashed out at the increasingly influential Arthur and Barca could have had a third before half-time, De Gea scrambling across to save on the line when Sergi Roberto should have finished.
Messi could have had his hat-trick too after Luis Suarez found him with a superb cutback and there was an almost comical sequence in the second half when the Argentinian played with his United chasers before finally being bundled over by McTominay.
Rashford might have made it interesting if he had controlled Pogba's ball over the top but Barcelona were in exhibition mode, helped by a vintage Coutinho curler after he had cut inside from the left.
Messi even attempted a bicycle kick and there were celebrations from the home fans when news went round that Ajax had taken the lead in Turin. They believe this is their year.
Liverpool could match Arsenal's Invincibles by going through a Premier League season without defeat, according to Unai Emery. Liverpool can be Invincibles, says Emery. a result that
Emery thinks Liverpool can emulate Arsenal's 'Invincibles
Football: Home United claim Community Shield in 5-4 shoot-out win over Albirex Niigata SINGAPORE -Home United have started the 2019 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season on a positive note after beating defending champions Albirex Niigata 5-4 on penalties in the Community Shield on Saturday (Feb 23) evening .
Home United clinch Community Shield after shoot-out victory
Trailblazing France coach Corinne Diacre said women in football face a constant struggle for acceptance and are often regarded as "objects" Women in football face daily battle, says France
Women in football face daily battle, says France coach
en.rfi.fr/wire/20181218-women-football-face-daily-battle-says-france-coach
Women in football face daily battle, says France coach France coach Corinne Diacre is hoping to guide Les Bleues to the women's World Cup title next year on home soil AFP. Trailblazing France
'Women in football face daily battle' | The Express Tribune
SINGAPORE - National sports agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) announced a three-year partnership with German football giants Bayern Munich on Sunday (March 24).. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Latest SINGAPORE FOOTBALL | The Straits Times
CARDIFF: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised his Manchester United players after they gave him the perfect start to his reign with a 5-1 victory at Cardiff just days after Jose Mourinho was sacked. Former United striker Solskjaer had just two days to prepare his players for his first match as caretaker
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-solskjaer-unimpressed-as-sloppy-united-avoid-banana-skin/
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid banana skin 03/30/2019 Comments Off on Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid banana skin MANCHESTER, England (REUTERS) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled his team "sloppy" after they laboured to a 2-1 Premier League win over Watford at Old
Football: Snowflakes? Mourinho reveals fragile ego of mystery
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-snowflakes-mourinho-reveals-fragile-ego-of-mystery-man-united-star/
Football: Pogba deletes cryptic post of him smiling after Mourinho is axed ; Football: Muscling up has weighed Man United's Lukaku down all season ; Football: Solskjaer praises buccaneering Man United players after stylish win
Football: Solskjaer makes dream start as Man United thrash
The quarter finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup kick off tonight! Evra, van Persie & Fellaini and Januzaj are still in the hunt! We've felt a void the past two days with no football - well now it's finally back with an action-packed evening of quarter-final action: France vs. Germany and Brazil vs. Columbia.
Liverpool and FIFA Club World Cup - Confusion after Reds
Football: Italy upset Australia at Women's World Cup with Bonansea double; As Canarinhas thump Reggae Girlz 1 day ago VALENCIENNES, France (REUTERS, THE GUARDIAN) - Barbara Bonansea scored twice to give Italy a surprise, last-gasp 2-1 victory against Australia in their opening Group C game at the women's football World Cup on Sunday (June 9).
Soccer: Italy upset Australia with Bonansea double
Willian eager to stay at Chelsea despite exit rumours Date created : 12/01/2019 - 21:26 Willian has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge AFP
Willian eager to stay at Chelsea despite exit rumours
The complimentary sauces elevated that. I'm usually not too familiar with dry rubs so this was definitely anew experience 8/10. Now the beef ribs I was expecting a juicy soft rib but to be honest it was more on the tougher side. It was a dry rub and maybe that had something to do with it but it was quite the task to eat the rib to the bone 7/10.
Jack in the Green - Wikipedia
Pain is the alarm of disease, the symptom that announces that all is not right with our bodies. Whether due to accident or illness, it is the most common reason that people seek medical assistance. But because pain has many causes, some of which are poorly understood, it is often a vexing problem to treat.
Heal N Soothe Reviews - Consumer Health Digest
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer boosted by Mourinho's work, claims Louis Van Gaal more exciting football in his time at the helm than they do now. Van Gaal's claims seem at odds with the more
Solskjaer boosted by Mourinho's work, claims Van Gaal - World
worldsoccertalk.com/2019/03/26/solskjaer-boosted-by-mourinhos-work-claims-van-gaal/
Van Gaal's claims seem at odds with the more entertaining football played by United since Solskjaer started a reign that looks set to bring him the manager's job on a permanent basis. "The way Manchester United are playing now is not the way Ferguson played," Van Gaal told the BBC on Tuesday. "It is defensive, counter-attacking football.
A bankruptcy case normally begins when the debtor files a petition with the bankruptcy court. A petition may be filed by an individual, by spouses together, or by a corporation or other entity. All bankruptcy cases are handled in federal courts under rules outlined in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Blues manager hails Higuain-Hazard partnership LONDON • Maurizio Sarri has tried everything this season in a bid to solve Chelsea's scoring woes from persisting with Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata despite their slump in form to playing Eden Hazard as a "false nine".
Latest MAURIZIO SARRI | The Straits Times
0 comments:
Post a Comment