Milan 0 Barcelona 1: Giuly's guile gives Barça the edge in race for Paris

Two years ago Ludovic Giuly limped away from the Champions' League final. Then captain of Monaco, he had played with an injury but lasted just 23 minutes. From the sidelines he watched Jose Mourinho's Porto dismantle his team.

Last night Giuly was given the unenviable task of filling Lionel Messi's boots. He responded with the clinically taken 57th-minute goal which earned Barcelona a significant first-leg advantage in this semi-final of the titans. Whether he earned himself a place in the final is, however, another matter. First Barcelona must get there and Milan created enough chances to suggest that the second leg, next Wednesday, is far from a formality.

Ronaldinho and Kaka were in opposition last night but the Brazilians will be partners in the summer and the way they teased and tormented less skilled opponents will surely have whetted the appetite of anyone supporting, or with a ticket to watch, the selecao in Germany.

Neither scored but Kaka should have, and Massimo Ambrosini ought to have equalised from a gilt-edged opening Kaka created.

For his part Ronaldinho hit the post and, crucially, Giuly did score from the chance he provided. Ronaldinho had begun the game picking up a bruise from Gennaro Gattuso, Milan's midfield enforcer. With Milan hounding him he even miscontrolled a simple throw-in. But he cannot remain ordinary for long. Shortly before the hour he sent Gattuso spinning to the ground, then clipped a ball over the Milan defence to Giuly. The Frenchman thrashed a rising shot inside Dida's near post.

Just minutes earlier Kaka had been gifted a similar chance by Andrei Shevchenko's clever chip. He shirked the responsibility of shooting, instead slipping the ball square where Alberto Gilardino, caught by surprise, shot wide of the open goal. Ambrosini had less excuse when Kaka later set him up with a sublime pass. He had time but panicked and shot wide.

That was Milan's best chance to salvage a draw. It was not a conclusion they had envisaged in the opening quarter when they took the game to Barcelona. Gilardino, from a long throw, whipped a shot against the inside of the post, and away. Then Serginho broke down the left and picked out Shevchenko at the far post but Victor Valdes saved his header.

Ultimately, the result revealed the influence of Barcelona's midfield. Six minutes after Giuly's goal Ronaldinho, on the counter-attack, carried the ball to within 20 yards of goal, then rolled a shot which struck the far post.

This was Milan's first home defeat of the season, in any competition, and their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, lamented: "We don't need a miracle, but we need something extraordinary."

Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida; Stam (Cafu, 77), Kaladze, Nesta, Serginho; Gattuso (Ambrosini, 75), Pirlo (Maldini, 67), Seedorf; Kaka; Shevchenko, Gilardino. Substitutes not used: Kalac (gk), Rui Costa, Vogel, Amoroso.

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Oleguer (Motta, 75), Puyol, Marquez, Van Bronckhorst; Van Bommel, Edmilson, Iniesta; Giuly (Belletti, 71), Eto'o, Ronaldinho (Maxi, 89). Substitutes not used: Jorquera (gk), Silvinho, Gabri, Ezquerro.

Referee: A Sars (France).