The Serve

Ferdinand: Satisfied with Barca draw

Rarely can a 0-0 draw against Barcelona at the Nou Camp be looked at as a failure, however Cristiano Ronaldo’s botched penalty in the third minute of the Champions League semi-final opening leg left Manchester United wondering what might have been.

Ronaldo attempted a clever jab from the spot after Gabriel Milito was penalised for a handball, but his shot sprayed to the right. The match settled into stride, with the run of play belonging to the hosts, however Man U held out with a reasonable degree of comfort to ensure they’ll enter the Old Trafford decider unscathed.

“Satisfied with the result,” United captain Rio Ferdinand said. “To come here and not concede was the first objective. We done that. We thought we were capable of nicking a goal.”

While Manchester United are in pole position heading into the second leg, Ronaldo’s miss might become the defining moment of what has been his landmark season.

“You’ve just got to be able to adjust after that, the disappointment. I thought we did that well,” Ferdinand said.

“They controlled the large parts of the game, but I thought we dealt with what they had to offer.

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard was relieved at the full time, despite his side failing to take the initiative in their home tie.

“I think we recovered really well and played a good game,” Rijkaard said.

“It’s still open. We still have the possibility. One goal over there could be very important.”