Barca show their ugly side to leave United on the ropes

Lionel Messi finished with a bloody nose and swollen cheek but Barcelona left unscathed, with one foot in the semi-finals and Manchester United hoping for another Champions League miracle.

Chris Smalling's clattering challenge in the first half could mean Messi is spared Barca's visit to Huesca on Saturday, their 11-point lead in La Liga affording Ernesto Valverde the luxury of preserving his captain for next week's second leg.

"He was certainly not comfortable, that's obvious," Valverde said after his team's gritty 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

A fresher and sharper Messi would hardly make United's task any easier. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen to invoke memories of their comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round but it will be an altogether different task winning at Camp Nou, where Barca have lost only once in 52 matches and not in the Champions League since 2013.

They faced pressure at Old Trafford but few genuine moments of discomfort, demonstrated by United's failure to muster a single shot on target, for the first time in this competition since March 2005.

"Lacking talent on the field, this United team has to resort to faith," wrote Diario Sport.

"The roar of the stadium spurred the players on but it was nothing that could affect Barca."
- 'Crucial' Pique -
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"Sometimes you go on the attack and leave the defence open but we sat in more and balanced the game."
El Pais said of the striker nicknamed, 'El Pistolero': "In England, and even at Old Trafford, the law is set by the gunman."
"This season we are aware of what happened and we are more cautious."