Barcelona took a big step towards their first Champions League semi-final in four years as they claimed a slender 1-0 win away to Manchester United despite a thoroughly underwhelming performance.
Ernesto Valverde’s men were far from their best, with Lionel Messi uncharacteristically quiet, though United failed to make the most of their periods of superiority and must win at Camp Nou if they are to progress any further in the competition.
Barca’s positive start saw them produce the only goal, the unfortunate Luke Shaw deflecting a Luis Suarez header into his own net, though United looked bright for the remainder of the first half.
Although that pattern of play resumed after the interval, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side struggled to craft meaningful chances and, as sloppy as Barca were, they successfully held on to a crucial away win.
