Barcelona are struggling for form, and languishing 11 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga. Their title challenge is all but over, so the Champions League provides one last chance at silverware for the Catalan giants. There are a lot of contributing factors to their poor season, mainly players not maximising their potential. Henry has hardly set the world alight since his move from Arsenal, while Ronaldinho is more concerned about house prices in Milan. Despite all this, with the amount of attacking talent in their squad, write them off at your peril. Frank Rijkaard knows this is probably one of the most important games in his managerial career, and will make sure the players know it too. Failure at this stage may be the final nail in the coffin for the Dutch coach, with persistent rumours linking him to Chelsea. Thousands of fans will fill the Nou Camp, expecting success. Can Barca produce a performance to save their season?
Manchester United are closing in on retaining the Premiership, and look far better equipped than at this stage last season. The summer signings of Nani, Anderson, Hargreaves and Tevez has allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to rotate effectively and keep winning games. While Barcelona's star names have had a below-par season, one Manchester United player has been enjoying his best ever. Cristiano Ronaldo, surely the best player in the world right now, has been incredible. People have expressed doubts over his ability in the big games, but his composure over the penalty against Arsenal and his towering header against Roma have quickly silenced those critics. The main concern for United is Nemanja Vidic, who has a stomach complaint. Ferguson needs his first choice backline on top form to nullify the threat posed by the opposition. With Gary Neville, Gerard Pique and John O'Shea all on stand-by, the United manager will have to choose wisely, not forgetting the crunch league game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Barcelona 2-2 Manchester United. Expect a lot of goalmouth action tonight, especially if Vidic does miss out. With Barcelona's quality, I think they will raise their game and do the goods at one end of the pitch. Henry will score tonight, as sod's law also applies in football. However Manchester United seemed to have now mastered the away leg in European football. With pace to burn on the counter-attack, a score draw looks likely, putting United in a great position for the second leg.
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