BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Barcelona to brace themselves for an Old Trafford backlash when the two sides resume battle next week.
An enthralling goalless draw here on Wednesday has left the Champions League semi-final between the two clubs delicately poised but Ferguson is confident there will be no repeat of what was a subdued display by his team here on Wednesday evening.
United struggled to contain their hosts for long periods but the bluntness of Barcelona's cutting edge minimised the damage and the evening might have had a very different complexion if Cristiano Ronaldo had managed to convert a third minute penalty.
Given the cacophony of Catalan catcalls that provided the backdrop to his spot-kick, it was not surprising that Ronaldo suffered a rare failure of nerve, sidefooting his strike wide of Victor Valdes's left-hand post.
But Ferguson is confident that the Portuguese winger and his teammates can make amends next Tuesday and secure their place in next month's final in Moscow.
"I think that the game now starts at Old Trafford," said the Scot. "The situation is that if it is a scoring draw we are out and if we lose we are out.
"The big bonus is if we win we are through and it will be a different game at Old Trafford. With our record there, the atmosphere and with our fans behind us, we have a very good chance to go through.
"It was significant that the Barcelona supporters were happy with the performance of their team. There were no white hankies and the support was terrific for them. Hopefully we will have the same kind of support in our own ground on Tuesday."
Ferguson played down the significance of Barcelona's territorial domination of Wednesday's match, stressing that a defence missing centreback Nemanja Vidic through illness had restricted the Catalans to one clear chance - which Samuel Eto'o blasted into the side netting in the 50th minute.
"Barcelona have a lot of possession in a lot of games. They tend to have in the Nou Camp so we are satisfied we kept a clean sheet. It was a professional performance to do that."
Ferguson admitted that United's ball retention and their exploitation of chances to counter-attack could have been better on the night but argued that had been offset by the performance of a back four impressively marshalled by Rio Ferdinand.
"After half time they had a little spell where Eto'o had a good chance - other than that I think we have done well in reducing their opportunities," the United manager added.
Ferguson revealed that Vidic, who was hospitalised on the eve of the match with a stomach infection, was unlikely to feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Chelsea, a match which could see United clinch the domestic title, and could also be doubtful for the second leg with Barcelona.
"We don't know exactly what type of infection it is," Ferguson admitted. "We will give him every chance but we don't think he will be ready for Saturday."
Barca coach Frank Rijkaard echoed Ferguson's suggestion that the tie remains wide open.
"The penalty miss was a decisive moment for us," acknowledged the Dutchman. "It was a bit of a wake-up call and after that we played well."
Barca's lively display was well received by a Nou Camp crowd that has been severely critical of Rijkaard and his players as a result of their poor form in La Liga this season.
"In pure football terms it was not our best performance, but the team transmitted something special to the crowd and it was a great atmosphere," Rijkaard said.
"It was a very tactical game, Manchester played well on the counter attack but did not give them any chances and they know we are capable of scoring at Old Trafford.
"It will not be easy, we are up against a very good team but if we concentrate and remain positive, we know we can do it. A goalless draw is not the best result and we have to score over there, but it is not going to be easy for them. We will have our chances."
LONDON (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo insists he will have no qualms about taking another penalty for Manchester United despite his spot-kick misery against Barcelona.
Ronaldo hit a post with his penalty early in United's goalless Champions League draw in the Nou Camp on Wednesday, but the Portugal winger has no intention of hiding from the responsibility should his team be given another.
"Next time I get a penalty, I will try and put things right. I am not scared," he said.
"I am always confident. I have 38 goals this season. It is not a problem if I miss one or two. I try to do my best in every game.
"Since I have been in Manchester I have scored 15 or 16 penalties, I think, and missed two.
"No-one has said anything to me because I always try to score, to play well."
Ronaldo, who won the penalty when his header was handled by Gabriel Milito, is convinced he should have had a second after being fouled by Rafael Marquez and he was unhappy with referee Massimo Busacca's display.
"While you have to respect the decision of the referee, he did not make the best decisions," Ronaldo said. "Too many decisions went to Barcelona, he gave us nothing."
United were unable to find much attacking rhythm against Barca and now must win at Old Trafford in the second leg next Tuesday as a score draw would eliminate them on away goals.
Ronaldo is convinced the Spanish club will see a much more aggressive United in the return.
"It wasn't the best game in Barcelona but in Manchester we will try to win," he said. "I'm sure the return game will be totally different.
"Barcelona won't keep the ball like they did in this match and we'll create more chances.
"It will be a different game and I'm sure we're going to play better. We are at home, we will have 75,000 people behind us. We will try to play good football and try to win."
Owen Hargreaves filled in impressively at right-back on Wednesday and the England midfielder agrees that United will rise to the occasion.
"We are optimistic as we will play a lot differently than we did at the Nou Camp," Hargreaves said. "We will attack Barcelona and see how they deal with it.
"They had a lot of possession but did not really penetrate us. We had a strategy and played really well."
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - It didn't quite turn into the mesmerising display of skills between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi that everyone had anticipated but pundits gave the verdict to the United player.
"It was an impressive performance from him," commented Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari, who was at the game checking on Ronaldo's progress ahead of the forthcoming Euro 2008 finals.
Ronaldo missed an early penalty that would have broken the deadlock between United and hosts Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final, first leg 0-0 draw but otherwise he was by far the brightest of all United's stars.
The statistics told their story as he had four of United's paltry six attempts to get a goal.
Barca's Rafa Marquez quickly let Ronaldo know that he would be sticking to him closely for 90 minutes when he slid into him sideways and took his legs away, sending him into the air, after just 30 seconds.
Barely a minute later, Ronaldo was grimacing again but this time pain was more mental than physical after he chipped his penalty wide following Gabi Milito's handball in the area.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo was the one player among United's illustrious strike force, which included an unfit Wayne Rooney and a lacklustre Carlos Tevez, who lived up to his reputation.
When provided with service, which he was denied for long periods especially in the second half, He was constantly trying to force his way through Barcelona's well-organised defence.
Marquez punished him for his temerity to try to make some progress on several occasions during the first 45 minutes eventually, and belatedly, got a yellow card for clumsily clattering into him just before the break.
The booking means that the Mexican international will be suspended for next Tuesday's second leg and instead it will be Barcelona's shaggy-haired captain Carles Puyol who will be in charge of shackling Ronaldo.
Puyol himself was banned on Wednesday night but was sitting in the stands, constantly sucking on a lollipop, and his thoughtful expression suggested he was taking mental notes on how to unsettle the man who was the visitor's main weapon on Wednesday.
Messi was also in the thick of the action after starting his first game in two months following a thigh injury, creating chances in and around the box as well as down the right wing.
Unlike his Barcelona team mates robust attitude towards Ronaldo, Messi was handled more tenderly by the United defenders - who only fouled him twice - despite embarrassing them frequently.
The most notable occasion came midway through the first half when he flicked the ball over the head of England captain Rio Ferdinand before darting around him.
However, Messi reluctantly left the field after 62 minutes having clearly run out of steam several minutes before his departure, contradicting his statement on Tuesday that he was fit enough to last a whole game.
"Next week, at Old Trafford, he'll be another week fitter and even if he doesn't last 90 minutes, Messi will have an even bigger impact, I'm sure," said his Barca team mate Xavi Hernandez.
The stage now seems set, especially if United go on to lift the Champions League that they will have the advantage at Old Trafford, for Ronaldo to become a serious candidate to win this year's World Player of the Year award.
Messi, for his part, will be looking to pull off one of his regular magic tricks and help Barca to defy the odds next Tuesday and progress to the final in Moscow on May 21.
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - A rare failure of nerve by Cristiano Ronaldo cost Manchester United the chance of a famous victory but Sir Alex Ferguson's side still emerged as favourites to reach the Champions League final after a goalless draw with Barcelona in their semi-final first leg clash here on Wednesday.
It could have been so much better for the English champions if Ronaldo had not missed a third minute penalty but, after an enthralling contest that Barcelona undoubtedly edged on points, United will not complain too loudly about the outcome.
"I didn't change my style for the penalty," said Ronaldo.
"But now I will score in Manchester.
"Barcelona played well and kept the ball a lot but we defended well. Nevertheless 0-0 is a good result for us."
Ferguson was surprised that the Portuguese star had not put it away.
"I would have backed him to be honest," said the Scot.
"He was a bit unlucky and maybe its come too early."
Ferguson, though, was pleased with the overall outcome.
"It was a professional performance and as I said at half-time we sealed off areas where Barcelona normally do well.
"There was a lot of play on the edge of our box but we defended well.
"We should have done better with our possession and we gave the ball away too easily. The result gives us a good chance."
But Ferguson is confident that the Portuguese winger and his teammates can make amends next Tuesday and secure their place in next month's final in Moscow.
"I think that the game now starts at Old Trafford," said the Scot. "The situation is that if it is a scoring draw we are out and if we lose we are out.
"The big bonus is if we win we are through and it will be a different game at Old Trafford. With our record there, the atmosphere and with our fans behind us, we have a very good chance to go through.
"It was significant that the Barcelona supporters were happy with the performance of their team. There were no white hankies and the support was terrific for them. Hopefully we will have the same kind of support in our own ground on Tuesday."
The visitors' display never threatened to scale the heights they have touched at times this season and have resulted in Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and co. being hailed as the richest collection of talents ever assembled by the club by both their manager and Sir Bobby Charlton.
But a gritty defensive display and the relatively meagre ration of real chances they accorded Barcelona will have given Ferguson justifiable cause for optimism about the outcome of next Tuesday's second leg.
Deprived by a gastric bug of the services of centreback Nemanja Vidic, Ferguson must have thought his luck had turned for the better when Ronaldo headed Rooney's corner against the arm of Gabriel Milito just 90 seconds into the match.
The defender, drafted in to replace Barca's suspended captain Carles Puyol, could do little to get out of the way but the fact that his arm was raised ensured Swiss referee Massimo Busacca had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Against the background of a cacophony of Catalan catcalls, Ronaldo's customary pre-penalty gunslinger stance appeared as confident as ever.
The strike that followed was anything but however and his side-footed slice hit the post and went wide.
Barcelona immediately set about making the most of their let-off and United lived dangerously for a while as Lionel Messi repeatedly jinked and swerved his way into dangerous positions.
The sight of Rooney desperately hoofing the ball to safety from deep inside his own box was symptomatic of the problems United were encountering in coping with the intricate passing patterns woven by their hosts .
But with the exception of two free-kicks within a yard of the 18-yard line - both of which were blasted into the United wall - and a deeper delivery from Xavi that Rafael Marquez narrowly failed to connect with, the attractive approach work was not yielding clear cut chances.
United were doing no better in that department but might easily have been awarded a second penalty just before the half-hour when Ronaldo intercepted Andres Iniesta's slack pass across his own 18-yard line.
As he attempted to go past Marquez, the Portuguese winger collided with the outstretched arm of the defender and tumbled to the turf but on this occasion the Swiss referee declined to oblige United.
"I don't understand why the referee didn't give a penalty," said Ronaldo.
Ferguson, though, wasn't surprised.
"You're lucky to get one penalty at the Nou Camp, so getting two..."
The bluntness of Barcelona's cutting edge in part reflected the fact that Rio Ferdinand was winning his personal battle with Samuel Eto'o and it was not until five minutes into the second half that the Cameroon striker finally escaped his shadow.
But after skipping past the England defender on the right of the box, his attempt to pick out Messi was thwarted by Michael Carrick's important intervention.
Two minutes later, Iniesta's delightful little flick helped a pass from Messi into the path of Eto'o but, from a tight angle, his shot ended in the side netting.
Almost immediately Carrick went equally close after collecting a corner at the backpost and sidestepping Marquez, who will miss next week's second leg after a first-half booking he incurred for a trip on Ronaldo.
Van der Sar had his first real save to make just before an hour had elapsed, falling to his right to smother Xavi's low drive.
The Dutch goalkeeper followed that up with two competent saves from substitute Thierry Henry in the closing minutes but neither strike from the former Arsenal captain was sufficiently well-directed to truly threaten to break the deadlock.
Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Xavi Hernandez are confident the Catalans can shatter United's dream of a place in next month's Champions League final.
"It is not a bad result," said Cameroonian striker Eto'o, who blasted Barca's best chance of the night into the side netting five minutes after half-time.
"We'll see how they play at their place. We did not score but we can score over there - if we score once they will have to get two and that will be hard for them."
BARCELONA, Apr 23 (SW) - No goals were scored in the Champions League semi final clash between FC Barcelona and Manchester United tonight, and the second leg will have to bring a decision.
Manchester were given an enormous chance to open the score after only two minutes when Gabriel Milito handled the ball near his own goal.
But Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo failed to stay calm and his penalty kick bounced onto the crossbar and away from the goal.
From there on, Barcelona were the attacking side while Manchester clearly wanted to leave Spain with a scoreless draw in the pocket.
Barcelona had difficulties creating good chances however. This couldn't be changed either by players as Henry and Bojan, who entered play in the second half.
Manchester will be satisfied by the draw but Barcelona do have a decent perspective ahead of the second leg, as each away goal there would seriously hurt their English opponents.
A missed penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC remain deadlocked at 0-0 after an enthralling first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
The English side's last visit to the Camp Nou had ended in extraordinary scenes as they won the 1999 UEFA Champions League with two added-time goals, and they almost picked up where they left off on their first return since, only for Ronaldo to fire a third-minute penalty wide after Gabriel Milito had handled.
It was as close as they came on a night when Paul Scholes made his 100th appearance in the competition, although the visitors will be thankful to escape with a draw after being forced on the back foot for much of the match.
The tie sprang to life from kick-off, providing drama as early as the second minute when Ronaldo headed on Scholes' corner only for Milito's raised arm to intervene. The Portuguese international took the spot-kick himself, but fired wide to the relief of the majority in the 98,000 sell-out crowd. Well off the pace in the Primera División, Barça's season rests on this tie and they quickly found their feet, a lightning run from Lionel Messi putting the away team on the back foot. It was breathless stuff as the home side probed a makeshift United back line, shorn of the unwell Nemanja Vidi
BARCELONA, Apr 23 (SW) - The semi final stage of the UEFA Champions League continued with the first leg clash between FC Barcelona and Manchester United. SoccerWay kept you up to date on the most important events.
Final score: 0-0
More match information: Here.
Update April 29th: Follow the return leg, MANCHESTER - BARCELONA, here.
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FULL TIME - The final whistle has sounded and no goals were scored tonight. It's hard to say which side should be happier, although Manchester were the ones that seemed to have a scoreless draw as target all along.
However, both teams will have their ways to make the 0-0 result look good ahead of the second leg next week.
Minute 90: Only two minutes are added by Swiss referee Busacca.
Minute 88: Barcelona get a free kick at about 25 meters from the goal, at a straight angle. Henry takes it but his effort finds Van der Sar.
Minute 86: Iniesta shoots in the rebound but Van der Sar once again gets in the way. The goalkeeper recovered from the few insecure moments in the first half and has been solid since.
Minute 85: Welshman Ryan Giggs comes on for Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez.
Minute 83: Henry thinks differently though and launches a strong shot on goal, which is only just saved by Van der Sar.
Minute 83: Only seven minutes left in regular time and the goalless draw seems more and more likely to happen.
Minute 77: French striker Thierry Henry gets his 15 minutes as he replaces Portuguese midfielder Deco.
Minute 76: Sir Alex Ferguson makes his first change. Nani comes on to replace Wayne Rooney, who has been largely invisible today.
Minute 73: Yellow card for Owen Hargreaves after a foul on Deco. Only the first booking for United in this match.
Minute 71: Barcelona claim a penalty as Iniesta goes down in the penalty area, but there was no foul and the referee waves play on.
Minute 68: United allow Barcelona to do the work as the English seemingly aim for a scoreless draw tonight, to finish it at home next week.
Minute 63: Messi did well today but it's probably for the best that he comes off, as the young Argentinian only just returned from injury.
Minute 62: First substitution of the match as Rijkaard takes of Messi and brings on Bojan Krkic.
Minute 60: Xavi suddenly appears with a shot on goal but Van der Sar does well to anticipate where the ball will end up and saves comfortably.
Minute 56: While Manchester United have few good options on the bench, Barcelona have quite a selection to choose from with players as Henry, Bojan and Giovani.
Minute 53: It's been a while, but Manchester finally created a good chance again. Michael Carrick's effort goes wide though.
Minute 52: Eto'o really is awake now as the Cameroonian tries his luck again with a shot that only just misses the post and hits the side-net.
Minute 50: Eto'o conquers the ball in United's penalty area and tries to pass the ball to Messi, but a defender gets in the way. A dangerous moment.
Minute 48: The first chance after the break is for Messi, who has a shot deflected over the goal-line by a United defender.
Minute 46: The second half has started in Barcelona. Both teams returned with the same eleven players as before the break.
HALF TIME - Barcelona were by far the better side in this first half, though the biggest chance was for Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score from a third-minute spotkick however.
Minute 44: Rafael Marquez is booked by the referee and misses the second leg in this semi final clash. Whether it was in fact a foul on Ronaldo is debatable at the least.
Minute 43: We're nearing half time and United should be the happier side to end the first half with a 0-0 score.
Minute 38: A free kick taken by Deco lacks force and the ball rolls into the hands of Edwin van der Sar.
Minute 37: Owen Hargreaves hurts his leg or foot and seems to be in pain. He continues though, and United can only hope that they won't need to change their already damaged defense, as several others are injured.
Minute 34: Eto'o shoots from the edge of the penalty area but the effort is blocked by two defenders. After a phase in which United regained some confidence, Barcelona now take the initiative once again.
Minute 29: Iniesta gives away the ball and allows Ronaldo to close in on Victor Valdes, but Marquez manages to conquer the ball. Ronaldo falls and wants a penalty, but the referee makes the right decision by not listening to the United forward.
Minute 29: Barcelona keep passing from one player to the next but it does look like Manchester's defense is well positioned at the moment as the Spanish can't find the way through.
Minute 25: Xavi backheels the ball to Iniesta and the latter gets a chance to shoot, but the attempt goes wide.
Minute 21: This match is mostly taking place on United's half. Barcelona keep pressing and clearly show what their intentions are.
Minute 17: Manchester goalie Van der Sar has had better days. The Dutchman gave away the ball twice already and looks a bit insecure.
Minute 14: Barcelona earn a free kick just outside Manchester's penalty area. Rafael Marquez tries his luck but his low shot hits the wall.
Minute 11: Andres Iniesta comes down the left wing but his pass goes just behind Deco. The Portuguese would have had a huge chance if he hadn't missed the ball.
Minute 9: Barcelona show motivation as Messi finds his way into the penalty area. A defender stands in the way but the ball finds Zambrotta. The Italian's shot doesn't reach the goal however.
Minute 6: A hectic start to this match. Argentinian Gabriel Milito clearly handled the ball and referee Busacca had no other choice but to point to the penalty spot. Milito tried to make up for his mistake by intimidating Ronaldo and it seems to have worked as the effort bounced onto the crossbar.
Minute 3: PENALTY MISS - Cristiano Ronaldo hits the crossbar and the score remains 0-0.
Minute 2: PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED as Milito handles the ball.
Minute 2: A free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo is deflected by a defender, but the ball goes well over.
Minute 1: The match is underway at a filled Camp Nou. Red, Blue and Yellow colour the stands, where a giant mosaic has been designed to motivate Barcelona's players even more than they should already be.
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Manchester United return to Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium on Wednesday, the scene of one of their greatest victories, with the Champions League final again in their sights.
The reigning English champions and Premiership leaders face the Catalan club, who won the 2006 Champions League, on Wednesday in the first leg of a semi-final tie that will see the winners face either Arsenal or Liverpool.
Both Barca and Manchester United are both undefeated in this season's Champions League and the Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident there will be a displays to stir the blood of every football fan.
"In the 98-99 season, we drew 3-3 in Barcelona and 3-3 in Manchester. They were great games. Those results show that both teams like to play good football and attack," said Ferguson on Monday.
"Maybe we'll see that again in this semi-final. It'd be great," added the veteran Scottish coach.
The match has been billed as not only a clash between the two giant clubs but a face-to-face encounter involving two of the most exciting players on the planet: United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca's Lionel Messi.
"The Champions League motivates me more than ever. I could play no part in Paris (when Barca won in 2006) and that still hurts. I have unfinished business with this competition and I want to win it," added the inspirational Argentine.
"Messi is a very good player. It is a pleasure to play against players like him. We seem similar, we always want to score and win," commented Ronaldo about his rival on Monday.
Ronaldo leads the Champions League scorers this season after finding the net on seven occasions but now faces Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes who has kept three successive cleans sheets ahead of Wednesday's match.
"Our objective is to win as quickly as possible. We will play to find the best result in the Nou Camp. I want to win but at this stage there are no easy games.
"They are all very important matches where the pressure is very high for both teams and you need the maximum concentration. Anything can happen," added Ronaldo.
Barca have had a bad run of domestic results recently, and slipped down to third in La Liga, but they have been without Messi who has now recovered from a thigh injury and will be back in harness on Wednesday.
The news that he will be on the pitch from the start has been a big boost to his team mates.
"He's the best. He plays like he's on a Playstation," commented Barcelona's prodigious striker Samuel Eto'o.
"It is very important that he (Messi) is back against United because the whole season is at stake for us in this game," said Barca defender Gianluca Zambrotta.
"We are having problems in the league but I think everything is going to be different on Wednesday," added the Italian World Cup winner optimistically.
The Barca players believe that with the addition of Messi they can defy the odds, both on Wednesday and across the two legs, despite the fact that most pundits have United as the favourites.
"People doubt whether we can win but these sort of challenges are for men to rise to. Remember what happened against Milan two seasons ago? They were the favourites ahead of the semi-final but we came out on top," said Eto'o.
"It's very important for us to get to the final and we have 180 minutes ahead of us to do so. We can do it but we need to change our mindset for the two legs, and we can't afford to give anything away," said midfielder Andres Iniesta.
"The Champions League has been another story to La Liga. A good example is that after a terrible game against Betis three weeks ago, we were then able to beat Shalke (in the quarter-final first leg)," added the Spanish international midfielder.
United won the 1999 Champions League in the famous Nou Camp stadium in an unforgettable 2-1 win over Bayern Munich but this time they may not leave with such happy memories if hosts Barca can fulfil their own predictions.
One concern for Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard is that Thierry Henry didn't train on Monday due to a fever and is doubtful to face United but, after his recent poor performances, the Frenchman's absence may not be too big a blow.
Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has dismissed talk of a duel between himself and fellow superstar Cristiano Ronaldo when Manchester United arrive at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.
The sides clash in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final with Barca looking to claim European glory after falling 10 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga´s title race.
Argentina forward Messi will be vital to the Catalan side´s chances of success, but he said: "More than a duel between me and Ronaldo, this is a game between two big teams and will be a very interesting match."
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta is confident his side can progress past Manchester United and reach the Champions League final - despite their indifferent recent form.
Barca´s goalless stalemate with local rivals Espanyol on Saturday was the team´s third successive league draw, while in their last 13 competitive matches Frank Rijkaard´s men have recorded only four victories.
However, Iniesta remains in buoyant mood ahead of Wednesday´s Champions League semi-final first leg against United at the Nou Camp, saying: "It´s very important for us to get to the final, and we have 180 minutes ahead of us to do so. We can do it, but we need to change our mindset for the two legs, and we can´t afford to give anything away."
MADRID (AFP) - The Spanish league title may be as-good-as beyond the reach of Barcelona but the Catalan club's players still believe that they can lift the bigger prize of the Champions League.
Barcelona play host to English Premiership leaders Manchester United on Wednesday in the first leg of the semi-final tie that will see the winners face either Chelsea or Liverpool in Moscow on May 21.
"We've got 180 minutes ahead of us to salvage the season," said Barcelona's Spanish international playmaker Andres Iniesta at a press conference on Sunday.
"Of course we can make the final, but we need to change our mentality from recent games. It's going to be an intense challenge and we can't afford to give United any chances," he added.
Iniesta came on as a substitute at half time in Barca's last appearance in a Champions League final two years ago and his arrival on the pitch sparked a second half revival which helped them beat Arsenal 2-1.
"However, the Champions league has been another story for us this season. An example of this is that after the disastrous game against Betis (losing 3-2 three weeks ago) we bounced back to win at Schalke," commented Iniesta.
Iniesta's team mates also believe that the prospect of playing United will act as motivation to redeem themselves after throwing away a host of golden opportunities to seriously challenge their bitter rivals Real Madrid for the Spanish championship.
"The (Spanish) league is now very difficult to win but I still think we'll beat Manchester United. They are a great team but we are the favourites for the first leg," commented Barca's tireless midfielder Yaya Toure on Sunday.
"We know that the season is now all about playing United," added defender Gianluca Zambrotta, after their 0-0 draw in the Nou Camp with local rivals Espanyol on Saturday night left them eight points adrift of Real with the latter outfit set to play later on Sunday.
"We've had a lot of problems in the league but we seem to be a different team in the Champions League and we are going to fight to the end to win it again.
"What's important is that (Lionel) Messi is back. That's given us a big boost," added the Italian, who was part of their 2006 World Cup winning side.
Messi, with Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard still treading carefully in committing his mercurial Argentine winger after recent injuries, came on at half time against Espanyol and immediately injected some urgency into Barca's previously lack-lustre attack.
"I felt good after the game, I kept up with the pace, so I finished feeling happy," said Messi, despite not adding to his tally of nine La Liga goals this season and Barca's being held to their third consecutive domestic draw.
"Now's the time for the team to all get together. At least, the fans seem to be behind us again and I'm sure they will be so once more on Wednesday," urged the runner up in the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
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