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Martin Samuel: Ronaldo tricks and flicks show up Ibrahimovic

Last updated at 10:34 PM on 24th February 2009

Inter Milan 0 Manchester United 0

Jose Mourinho is to progress at Old Trafford in two weeks' time, he is going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.

The Porto way. Smash and grab, as it was five years ago. What was proved at the San Siro last night was that, man for man, Manchester United have the better team: and one man for one man, in particular.

One that got away: Ryan Giggs snatches at his shot with only Julio Cesar to beat

Mourinho has built up the bout between Cristiano Ronaldo, the best player in the world, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the man who would like to believe that he is, but had this been in the boxing ring the man in the red corner would have had his arm raised in triumph long before the end. Ibrahimovic postured like a great player, Ronaldo played like one. All he lacked was the sprinkle of luck that would have turned a match-defining performance into a match-winning one.

United are still vulnerable having failed to score away from home, and in this way Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to start without Wayne Rooney can be said to have failed.

At all other levels, however, staunch defence from a patched-up back four, attacking verve inspired by Ronaldo, this was a triumph for United.

They should go into the second leg with nothing to fear, even if history has not always been kind to them in these situations in the past. For Ronaldo, of all United's players, this was a big moment.

His claim to the individual prizes in world football had been doubted in the build-up to this game, a rival in the form of Ibrahimovic had been championed in his place. There was much to lose here; but, while United rode their luck at times, Ronaldo did not.

Feeling the heat: Inter boss Jose Mourinho sails close to the wind with referee Luis Medina Cantalejo

He emerged the winner, to the eyes of the judges, if not literally and will view the return on his turf in Manchester as the perfect stage to demonstrate that superiority once more. If it serves to put one doubter from his homeland in his place, so much the better.

How was Ronaldo better than Ibrahimovic? Let me count the ways. He was a better header of the ball. A bigger threat from free-kicks. He ran with the ball to greater intent. His shots were more dangerous. And his passing?

Well, let's be generous and call that a draw. Ibrahimovic passed the ball very nicely. Just not very often. This was the game that Ronaldo should have had against AC Milan two years ago. He was certainly capable of it. Has been for years actually, but maybe not in his head.

Only in the last two seasons has Ronaldo been able to marry his technical excellence with the mental strength to take that talent to the best teams at the biggest stadiums in the world and dominate games. He went missing the last time he visited the San Siro. Inter Milan were not so lucky.

Well, maybe they were considering that Manchester United could have had the tie won by half-time and did not even establish a lead in the match. That was not for want of trying on Ronaldo's part, however. He was brilliant, every bit the best player in the world, no matter how Mourinho had attempted to undermine him with comparisons to pretenders.

Players always claim not to be distracted by such twitterings but it was as if Ronaldo came here with the intention of proving a point and, while he deserved more to show for it, that argument was as good as won after 45 minutes.

Causing havoc: Ronaldo runs Inter ragged as Chivu tries desperately to stop him

His first half was magnificent, a constant bundle of energy where Ibrahimovic burst into life only in shudders, like a sound system with a short. The odd eye-catching pass aside he was rendered anonymous by a highly makeshift Manchester United defence and the one shot at goal went out by the corner flag to sarcastic cheers from the travelling support.

They would have been looking up the pitch to Ronaldo's best work, which was a shame, as it did not draw the roars of appreciation merited.

The repertoire is familiar and perhaps we are too blasé about it now. We no longer ooh and aah over the blur of stepovers, dummies, flicks and tricks that are executed, often in mid-stride. We should.

This is the best team in Italy, remember, one of the best teams in the world, and they had nobody who could execute anything like it. They did not have an aerial threat like Ronaldo, either - where are they now, those people who said he chickened out against Manchester City that time - and two of the goals he could have scored in the opening 30 minutes were with his head.

The free-kicks we know, too. The five steps back, the one to the side, the trajectory, fierce and low and never more than a hair's breadth from the target. Within 30 minutes, Julio Cesar, the Inter Milan goalkeeper, had saved one and scrambled to his post in fear of another.

Ronaldo had electrified the San Siro in a way that was beyond compare. Ibrahimovic? The thinking man's Dimitar Berbatov. He must have some magnificent games while our backs are turned, though