PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Manchester United held Barcelona in a 3-3 thriller just 5 years after being trounced 4-0 in the same fixture. They were brilliant and knocked Barcelona out of the European Cup in the "Group of Death."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Dwight Yorke, Manchester United's record signing, scored twice against Barcelona in a pulsating match in the Nou Camp to underline the growing belief that he can fire Alex Ferguson's side to Champions' League glory. The double from the £12.6million man took his tally for the season to 12 and he has now netted five goals in his five Champions' League games.

But Yorke was not the only star to shine in another memorable encounter between these two sides. Rivaldo scored twice and the superb Brazilian was only denied a third by the crossbar. The only pity is that these two sides cannot meet again to see if that would separate them after their two thrilling 3-3 draws.

United's cause had been helped by the fact that Barca coach Louis van Gaal was down to 14 first-team players because of injury, suspension and ineligibility and he could only name five substitutes. That appeared to make little difference to the Spanish champions when Sonny Anderson fired them into the lead after just 49 seconds of this Group D game.

Denis Irwin's header from Giovanni's cross fell to Anderson on the edge of the area and he evaded a challenge from Gary Neville before scoring his fourth Champions' League goal in five games. United's veterans of their 4-0 mauling in 1994 must have had a terrible sense of deja-vu and for the next 20 minutes Barcelona ran them ragged.

Peter Schmeichel, who had at least one object thrown at him during the warm-up, dived well to his left to deny Rivaldo after United's defence had stood off. Twice the Catalan side created two-man overlaps with their swift counter-attacking, but each time they failed to capitalise on the opportunities.

On the second occasion Schmeichel saved well from Anderson and the Brazilian must have ruled his miss when two minutes later Yorke equalised for United. Jesper Blomqvist found Yorke with a superb pass from the left and United's record signing drilled home. It was United's first goal on their third visit to the Nou Camp and it gave Alex Ferguson's men fresh heart.

Schmeichel pulled off a fine double save when he parried Figo's shot and he then palmed the rebound away before Barcelona could pounce. Yorke continued to cause problems for Barcelona's makeshift defence and twice he went close from crosses from David Beckham and Andy Cole.

Yorke was denied the chance of scoring a second just before half-time when he was tackled by Okunowo after the striker had controlled Roy Keane's cross beautifully on his chest. Yorke and Paul Scholes went close just after the interval before the Yorke-Cole partnership brought goal number 20 for the season in the 53rd minute.

Yorke let the ball run to Cole, who then played a one-two with his strike partner before slotting home his third Champions' League goal of the season. But just like at Old Trafford in September, back came Barca and Schmeichel was caught flat-footed four minutes later when Rivaldo floated the ball past him and it bounced on its way into the net.

The match was becoming more exciting by the minute and Paul Scholes drove over from a good position. Midway through a pulsating second half, Yorke headed just wide from Beckham's, but he adjusted his sights and 60 seconds later in the 68th minute he headed United back in front from an almost identical Beckham cross.

Barca knew their Champions' League hopes were on the line and back they came once again. And it was that man Rivaldo who hauled them level with a superb goal after 73 minutes. He controlled Sergi's cross on his chest before executing a terrific overhead kick.

The brilliant Brazilian was denied a hat-trick by the width of the crossbar when he hit a piledriver against the woodwork. Barcelona turned the screw in the final minutes and Schmeichel ran off his line to thwart Giovanni after Rivaldo had put him through with a lovely back-heel.

In stoppage time Cole and substitute Nicky Butt went close, but there was to be no winner in a game neither side deserved to lose.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson is undaunted by the prospect of having to beat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in two weeks time to guarantee qualification for the Champions' League quarter finals. Manchester United's 3-3 draw with Barcelona and Bayern's 2-0 win over Brondby means they are a point behind the Germans going in to the deciding clash. But United boss Ferguson claims this is what he had expected all along.

"I think it was always going to end up that we would have to win that match," he said. "We said before this match that unless we got a victory that it would be down to winning our last game and so it has turned out."

Dwight Yorke scored twice and Andy Cole once, while Rivaldo also scored two goals and Sonny Anderson one in a game which lived up to the sides' 3-3 draw at Old Trafford.

Ferguson said: "It was the kind of game where both teams could have scored a lot of goals and we have to be satisfied coming away with the draw because one team was eventually going to score more goals than the other if we kept attacking like that. It was a horrible start for us going a goal down after 50 seconds and that put us on the back foot for 20 minutes. But Yorke's goal did light us up a bit and we improved from there."

Barcelona coach Louis Van Gaal claimed the showdown between United and Bayern was too tight to call.

"I think the match in Manchester will be a very dangerous one because United have a great chance because they are playing at home," he said. "But they need a victory because Bayern Munich have 10 points so for them it could be easier."

The pulsating draw ended Barcelona's slim hopes of reaching the Champions' League final in their centenary year in their Nou Camp stadium, and Van Gaal was desperately trying to put on a brave face.

"The pain is big because the final is in the Nou Camp," he said. "But after one week I believe the pain will have gone, although it will return when the final is played here. I think though that the Spanish title will be sufficient for the people here."

For someone who had just played in one of the greatest games witnessed at Barcelona's Nou Camp in recent years Jaap Stam was far from happy. The Manchester United centre-half took little satisfaction from the pulsating Champions' League clash because his side did not take all three points.

Stam knows United missed a great chance to reach the quarter-finals and Bayern Munich's victory over Brondby means they must beat the Germans at Old Trafford to ensure qualification. Bayern top Group D by one point from United going into the winner-takes-all showdown on December 9.

"For the people in the stands it was a nice game to watch, but we really had to win this match," said the Dutchman. "Everybody will say it was a great performance from us over here to get a 3-3 draw, but I don't know. It was not a very good result for us and we may have a point, but we needed all three because now Bayern are top of the group. Now we have to win our home game against them."

Sonny Anderson gave Barcelona the lead after 49 seconds to raise the spectre of United's 4-0 drubbing on their last visit to the Nou Camp in 1994. But Dwight Yorke dispelled such fears when he hauled United back into the game with a 25th-minute equaliser before Andy Cole put them ahead eight minutes after half-time.

The brilliant Rivaldo levelled four minutes later from a free-kick only for Yorke to head United back in front on 68 minutes with his fifth Champions' League goal in five games. Barca refused to lie down and Rivaldo earned them a point with an overhead kick in the 73rd minute.

Rivaldo's efforts, though, ultimately proved futile because the draw snuffed out their lingering hopes of qualification. Eric Cantona was an interested spectator and he will have been impressed by his successors' striking success. Yorke and Cole have shared 21 goals between them this season to the obvious delight of manager Alex Ferguson.

"The front players were absolutely superb," he said. "They were always a threat and they could have scored more goals and I think Barcelona can testify to that. Our attacking play kept us in the game and we always looked like we would score goals."

Ferguson, though, will not have been so pleased with the bookings for Jesper Blomqvist, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Denis Irwin, which mean he now has six players just one yellow card away from suspension. Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal was left with the task of trying to lift the club after their dream of winning the Champions' League in their centenary year ended.

The philosophical Dutchman said: "The pain is very big for everybody, especially the players and the coach, but we are professionals and we can recover from a loss like this one.

"Life goes on and our aim now is to retain the Spanish title, which I think is still possible."

TEAMS

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Stam, Brown, Irwin, Keane, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Cole, Yorke.
Subs: Butt for Beckham
Scorers: Yorke (25, 68), Cole (53)

Barcelona: Hesp, Reiziger, Celades, Sergi, Okunowo, Zenden, Xavi, Figo, Giovanni, Rivaldo, Anderson.
Scorers: Anderson (1), Rivaldo (57,73)

Referee: G Benko