United vs. Barcelona: Round Two

As Massimo Busacca blew the final whistle at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night, I first felt a huge sense of relief, followed by a great feeling of optimism and excitement. Despite being outplayed by Barcelona, we'd somehow managed to hold on to a 0-0 draw, and now we head back to Old Trafford on Tuesday safe in the knowledge that we can win the tie and qualify for our third ever European Cup final.

The defeat against Chelsea has put significantly more importance on the remaining two Premiership fixtures against West Ham and Wigan, but rigorous preparation and full concentration must be applied for the Champions League semi-final second leg.

A prestigious double is still within reach, but this will require maximum effort, no silly mistakes and keeping our key players fit. The Champions League is the big one, and the competition Manchester United has to win again, but taking the match against Barca lightly will be fatal, particularly when Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Andres Iniesta are on the opposing side.

European nights at Old Trafford are always special occasions. The fans vocal support is always notched up a level, the players often appear more fired up and tales of past glories echo around the stadium amongst the home support. The buzz on Tuesday night will be even more special, as this will be United's best chance of reaching Sir Alex Fergusons' second Champions League final.

However Barca were, of course, outstanding, and every player representing our club will need to be on top of their games to secure a place in next month's final in Moscow. But as last year's semi-final against AC Milan proved, home advantage seems to offer us a huge favour when playing against Europe's top sides. Unfortunately last year Rooney's late winner against the Italians only provided our support with false hope of reaching the Champions League final after being undone by Kaka and co. at the San Siro, which is why last Wednesday's draw takes on so much significance.

After clinging on to the 0-0, the roles in Tuesday's second leg will be reversed. With Nemanja Vidic back in contention, this will allow our team to defend with added confidence and give license for our midfield and strikers to actually break into the Barcelona half this time. If Rooney ends up playing at full-back again, Sir Alex Ferguson might as well award him with Gary Neville's number two shirt next season.

Our strikers have to play their natural game. Sitting back at the Nou Camp was all well and good, but testing the Barca defence will be crucial, as will retaining possession. Sitting back and soaking up pressure against a team of Barcelona's pedigree will, nine times out of ten, result in defeat. We may have escaped it once this week, but playing that badly and avoiding defeat twice in a week will be the equivalent of jumping into the ring with Mike Tyson, running around for two bouts of 12 rounds, and surviving to tell the tale.

Although the squad is comprised of experienced international footballers, the 98,000 crowd packed inside the Catalan stadium did appear to have an adverse affect on the team. The crescendo of jeers and whistles whenever a white shirt touched the ball last Wednesday was deafening. But as the Nou Camp is often Barcelona's fortress, Old Trafford is United's. Tuesday night will be a special occasion regardless of the final score, but Ferguson will know that this is his greatest opportunity to guide United to their third European Cup triumph.

So, will United perform with more menace on Tuesday night? Would victory over the Spaniards put United on course to defeat either Chelsea or Liverpool in the final? Or will the defeat to Chelsea knock United's confidence and jeapodise their season as a result?