At Old Trafford, Manchester United got the applause of their many fans for their efforts but ultimately lost an important game, suffering a painful 1-0 defeat in their Champions League quarter-final first leg as Luke Shaw’s first-half own goal gave Barca a huge advantage and decided the score early on in the match.
The Catalans took a deserved lead after United’s defender deflected Luis Suarez’s header into his own net in the 12th minute, giving Suarez his goal, which proved to be the crucial setback for his side. The unspectacular goal was initially ruled out for offside but VAR soon confirmed it.
Barca’s Philippe Countinho did great, as was expected of him, nearly scoring a second goal in the 36th minute, when United’s David de Gea made a solid save with his feet and denied him the opportunity. Messi was mostly on the margins during this game, after sustaining a facial injury in a first half challenge by Chris Smalling.
The loss, which is United’s fourth in their last five games in all competitions, marks the first time United have failed to have a shot on target in a Champions League game since 2005. On the other hand, Barca have not lost at home for 30 games in the Champions League since 2013.
