Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho believes the sub par performance from Barcelona versus Manchester United was a "missed opportunity" for both to gain a better result from their Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Mourinho believes Barca lacked potency in attack and underwhelming performances from both sides on the night means it was a “missed opportunity” to kill off the tie for one, and to snatch a surprise result for the other.
“I think it was a missed opportunity for both. I don’t think they were good. Both. So if one of them was better, probably in Barcelona’s case they could kill the tie. Which they didn’t because 1-0 is open,” Mourinho said during his RT show 'On the Touchline'.
“And Manchester United is also... Could get a different result. United zero shots on target. Barcelona I think two or three. And what surprised me more with Barcelona is that they didn’t have efficiency on the passing.
Also on rt.com Suarez beats boos boys as Barcelona lead Man United 1-0 in UCL quarterfinal“The majority of the matches when they are not able to create they are not able to score more goals at least they keep the ball. They keep the ball from their opponent and the opponent feels always in some mental weakness because they are always running and chasing the ball.”
Barca captain Lionel Messi endured a barren night, although the Argentine maestro did provide the cross for Luis Suarez to nod the ball home off United defender Luke Shaw for the game's only goal.
The other bright moment for the number ten was being left battered and bloodied by United defender Chris Smalling during an aerial challenge, an incident which Mourinho dismissed as "nothing".
One player who stood out to ex-United boss Mourinho responsible for keeping Barca at bay was Scott McTominay, whom the Portuguese coach helped nurture through the club’s famed academy and into the first team. Mourinho described the young midfielder as a “mad dog”.
“Barcelona was not Barcelona yesterday. I think United had one player that was responsible for that because I think Scott McTominay in midfield he was like what I used to call - but when I use this expression it’s obviously in the total positive sense of the word. He was a mad dog,” Mourinho said.
“Afraid of nobody. Imposing his respect. Pressing really hard with a huge range of movement a huge area of pressing. Pressing higher and creating problems in Barcelona building up then really aggressive on the duels.”
McTominay and his teammates must play less like mad dogs and more like men possessed in the return leg in Camp Nou, needing at least two goals to reach the semi finals.
Also on rt.com 'Collect his blood and clone him!': Lionel Messi stuck with gruesome facial injury in CL QF (PHOTOS)The stadium holds special importance for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was the stadium in which the Norwegian scored a stoppage-time winner versus Bayern Munich in the 1999 final to secure the club an unprecedented treble in the most dramatic fashion the tournament has ever seen.
Solskjaer must hope to complete another improbable victory next week to keep any hope of European glory alive.
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