We were treated to a great night of European football at the Bernabéu with the clash of Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Here's some conclusions from the media after the game.
Daniel Taylor in the Guardian
Sir Alex Ferguson's team may have to be more ruthless in the second leg. They will also need to think again when it comes to trying to muzzle Cristiano Ronaldo but this was still an encouraging night for the Premier League leaders and it is typical of how they played that they were so aggrieved at the final whistle
Michael Cox of zonalmarking.net
Real didn’t do enough to break down the deep United defence, and the lack of a genuinely top-class centre-forward in these type of situations is perhaps Real’s biggest weakness.
Rob Train on ESPN FC
In a match where nerves will play their part as much as skill - United players have expressed their hope that Ronaldo will be somehow overwhelmed with emotion at Old Trafford - Real's quest for the Decima, its holy grail, and United's quest to regain the title it last won in 2008, hangs by an equally thin thread.
David McDonnell on Mirror.co.uk
United may have been outplayed for much of the night, but the spirit, character and endeavour their boss talked proudly of on the eve of the game saw them earn a deserved draw at the Bernabeu.
Ferguson may have left his present for Real boss Jose Mourinho, a bottle of vintage claret, on the team plane, but the United boss was still able to toast a performance of impressive maturity and intelligence from his players.
Simon Stone in the Irish Examiner
There was certainly enough in Real’s performance to suggest United would be unwise to claim they now hold a decisive advantage in this two-legged encounter, which will be settled at Old Trafford on March 5, even if Robin van Persie wasted a golden opportunity to seal victory on the night.
Although Real dominated possession at times, the visitors never let their concentration waver. No one exemplified their spirit more than Jones, who was handed the job of limiting the threat posed by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ian Ladyman on Dailymail.co.uk
That is exactly what De Gea was here: resolute. He was not brilliant or awe-inspiring or incredible. Or any other superlative.
He was resolute, dependable and influential. On this occasion, that was enough. This was a grown-up goalkeeping performance, one that perhaps serves notice that De Gea can be a force for good at United after all.
