Barça had to settle for a 0-0 draw this evening as they were unable to break through a packed Rangers defence. Barça had a great deal of possession but couldn’t take any of the few chances they created. Frank Rijkaard made changes in defence, leaving out Oleguer and switching Puyol to right back with Thuram coming in to partner Milito in the middle. 

Rangers sat back and waited for Barça from the beginning and gave no room to Thierry Henry or Leo Messi who both had frustrating evenings. Ronaldinho, back in the team after missing the defeat against Villarreal, saw a lot of the ball but only managed to shoot from free kicks of which only one came close.

Rangers perhaps showed Barça too much respect at the beginning and they did not pressurize the Barça defence in the first ten minutes as might have been suspected. The first chance of the game went to Eidur Gudjohnsen, in for the injured Deco, who headed over from a corner. After 13 minutes Henry fed Messi who shot right footed from an angle but Carlos Cuellar cleared the ball which was going wide anyway.

Ronaldinho came closest for Barça on the half hour. His free kick was tipped onto the crossbar and over by goalkeeper McGregor. Then five minutes before half time a cross from Ronaldinho found Puyol running into the area to head towards goal but McGregor put it round the post for a corner. From the corner the ball found Ronaldinho in space but his shot was charged down by McCulloch, the appeals for a handball were ignored by the Austrian referee. In the 44th minute Puyol again got into the Rangers area, this time producing a skillful nutmeg but his cross came to nothing.

Barça created less in the second half, perhaps they had decided to settle for the draw, perhaps they simply ran out of ideas. Their first two goal attempts of the half were both hopeful long shots, one from Gudjohnsen which McGregor saved easily and one from Xavi that flew way over.

After 68 minutes Messi passed to Ronaldinho on the right and the Brazilian’s cross was almost deflected in off Cuellar. From the corner the ball came to Henry but he seemed surprised the ball had reached him and he headed a good chance over from five yards.

Rangers had their best spell after this, first McCulloch just failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross from the left, then on 74 minutes Abidal’s headed clearance fell to McCulloch who shot over. Rangers seemed to sense that they could sneak a winner and their best chance came when Cousin volleyed wide as the Barça defenders appealed for a non-existant offside.

Barça regained possession for the last ten minutes and as the minutes ticked by neither team wanted to risk losing. Abidal had the last chance of the game shooting wide from 25 yards in the 89th minute.

In the end it wasn’t the fast and furious game I was expecting, Rangers were happy with the draw and Barça should be too. It was one of those games where at the end I couldn’t understand how I hadn’t read it better, I should have seen both sides would be pleased with a point and put a big bet on 0-0. It was a shame Barça didn’t take one of their early chances because I would have liked to have seen what Rangers were capable of if they had needed to attack. The return game is on Wednesday 7th November at Camp Nou.

Rangers: McGregor; Hutton, Weir, Cuellar, Papac; Novo (Beasley), McCulloch, Ferguson, Thomson, Adam; Cousin. 

Barça: Valdés 6.5; Puyol 7.5, Thuram 7, Milito 6, Abidal 6; Xavi 6.5, Iniesta 6, Gudjohnsen 6.5; Messi 6, Henry 5.5 (Giovani –), Ronaldinho 6.5.

Yellow Cards: Rangers: Thompson (misses next match), Papac, Weir. Barça: Milito, Abidal. 

Barça stay top of the group on seven points with Rangers second also on seven. Lyon are third with three points after winning 0-2 at Stuttgart who are bottom with no points.