Manchester United FC and FC Barcelona meet in the second
leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final with the tie delicately
poised following last week’s goalless first leg at the Camp Nou.
However if both sides were looking for a weekend confidence booster
ahead of the tie, then neither received it – United were beaten 2-1
by title-rivals Chelsea FC, while Barça came unstuck 2-0 at RC
Deportivo La Coruña. The fact that the Primera División outfit have
won just six of 23 previous visits to England should give United
hope, but the English champions will be all too aware that the
three previous times they returned to Old Trafford after a 0-0 draw
in the first leg of a UEFA club competition, they have not
advanced.
Injured in Saturday’s defeat at Chelsea, Wayne Rooney and Nemanja
Vidić are missing from the United lineup. Vidić’s absence means Sir
Alex Ferguson fields the same back four as in the first leg, while
Portuguese winger Nani replaces Rooney. Barcelona, meanwhile, have
made just one change from the Camp Nou stalemate, with Carles Puyol
preferred to Rafael Márquez in defence.
