Barcelona 0-0 Man United: Reds rue penalty miss

When you look a gift horse in the mouth, it can come back to bite you.

And as Cristiano Ronaldo proved he is human after all in the Nou Camp, Sir Alex Ferguson will have been forgiven if his thoughts had gone back to Madrid eight years ago.

Last night, as United once again failed to impose themselves away from home against one of the European giants, the success of a clean sheet was outweighed by the knowledge that it was the game that got away.

Had Ronaldo converted from the spot within two minutes of the start United would have backed themselves as odds-on to book their place in Moscow on May 21.

Yet the man with the deadliest feet in football skimmed the post, squandering the sort of opportunity that rarely comes your way in a game of this magnitude.

And while United showed great courage to keep Barca at bay, Fergie will remember how his class of 2000 believed they had done the job after a goalless draw in the Bernabeu.

Back at Old Trafford, those misconceptions by the reigning champions were blown away by Fernando Redondo as Real Madrid went three up before a comeback brought only respectability, but still the exit door.

If there was a player you would put your mortgage on to score from 12 yards it would be Ronaldo.

And when his header after 90 seconds was blatantly batted away by both fists of Barca defender Gabriel Milito, it was as if the Portuguese had taken the outcome for granted as well.

Normally, Ronaldo bursts the net from the spot. Instead, sauntering up nonchalantly, he watched in disbelief as the ball grazed the outside of the upright.

It had scant impact on Ronaldo's supreme selfbelief and he was denied an equally stone-cold spot kick just before the half hour when he was bundled over by Rafael Marquez after intercepting Andres Iniesta's sloppy pass.

Swiss referee Massimo Busacca bottled the decision and by this stage we were also witnessing the wizardry of the other wing schemer, Lionel Messi.

His sheer presence had served to give life to a Barca side which has been in the doldrums.

Every time the little Argentine went near the ball, the Nou Camp rose in expectation. And with Iniesta teasing and Samuel Eto'o forcing the United back-line - shorn of Nemanja Vidic by his stomach bug - into a series of desperate clearances, it was nervy stuff.

United have been so cavalier and thrilling this term but they had no alternative but to dig deep and grind out the result that probably, just, gives them the slimmest of advantages.

For that, credit must be paid to Rio Ferdinand's resolution, and emergency right-back Owen Hargreaves.

And when, like the United midfield for far too much of the game, they were bypassed, up popped a white shirt in the right position.

Wayne Rooney, whose sole attacking contribution was the corner which should have ended with Ronaldo converting, robbed Eto'o in the first half.

Then even more crucially, as Messi lined up to tap home from Eto'o, Michael Carrick made the vital interception.

That came at the height of the tempest that raged around Edwin Van der Sar's area, the Dutchman grateful that Eto'o hit the sidenetting after a brilliant Messi-Iniesta exchange.

Thierry Henry thought he had emerged from the bench to become the scourge of United again, only to be twice thwarted by the veteran gloveman.

United are still masters of their own future. Yet one mistake next Tuesday and it could all come undone.

And nobody will hurt more than Ronaldo if it does.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 8
After five weeks out, showed true class and won his duel with Ronaldo

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United) 7
For wasting the chance of a vital away goal with his missed penalty