Barely twenty minutes into the match, Barcelona's attack became predictable.
With the midfield struggling to provide support, individual dribbles down the wings became their only hope, yet Manchester City's defense held firm. They only passed the ball around and were never able to break through
Barcelona's offense struggled heavily, and their midfield found itself entirely on the back foot. Enrique and Figo, the linchpins of the attack, saw their touches dwindle as Zanetti and Capdevilla, supported by Makelele, sandwiched them and rendered them liabilities to their teammates.
These were merely the normal ups and downs of football; not every good chance translates into a goal. Luckily for them, the match had not yet fully embraced Manchester City's winning rhythm
As for the central midfield, as long as they could contain Iván de la Peña, everything was going smoothly.
