Three and easy

Tevez: Struck for United

Manchester United are through to the Champions League semi-finals after beating Roma 1-0 (3-0 aggregate) at Old Trafford.

The mouth watering prospect of an all-English final in Moscow now looks increasingly likely after Chelsea and Liverpool booked their berths on Tuesday night.

United will have to navigate Spanish big-guns Barcelona The omens are with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, Barca will be without fading star Ronaldinho, influential captain Carlos Puyol is suspended, Thierry Henry is yet to fire on all cylinders and Lionel Messi is still struggling with a thigh injury. Furthermore United can take Frank Rijkaard’s men to the sword at Old Trafford in the second leg.

United are now sitting pretty in the Champions and Premier League. Carlos Tevez scored the decisive goal, heading home after 70 minutes. Things could have been very different in Daniel Di Rossi had not blasted a first-half penalty into the stands.

Fergie can take solace in the fact that there were bonuses which should hold United in good stead for the run-in.

Firstly club captain Gary Neville was welcomed back warmly as a substitute after 13 months on the sidelines. Rio Ferdinand seems to have recovered from his foot injury acquired at the Riverside on Sunday, Mikael Silvestre also returned from a serious injury unscathed and Owen Hargreaves played his best game in a United shirt looking streets ahead of any other player on the pitch fitness wise.

Of course everything could go horribly wrong for Sir Alex. Liverpool have history and confidence in Europe and Chelsea are no slouches either.

It’s to the Nou Camp first and Rijkaard is no pushover but the English domination of Europe continues – for now.

share this story: