Barcelona turn on the style

BARCELONA strolled to victory over Hearts at Murrayfield yesterday. In the end it was no more than an exercise match for the Catalan giants, but it served its purpose.

Players of the quality of Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Gianluca Zambrotta, Deco and Lilian Thuram gave an exhibition performance and the whole team oozed quality which, try as they might, Hearts simply could not match.

The double European Cup winners "never got out of second gear", as Hearts' new boy Michael Stewart ruefully admitted afterwards. Hearts, however, look as if they are some way short of the finished article, and there's only eight days to the Edinburgh derby and the start of the Premier League.

Anyone who says Scotland outside of Glasgow can't put on the big matches should have been at Murrayfield yesterday. A stadium packed with 57,857 paying fans showed that the match had caught the imagination of Hearts supporters and neutrals alike. Records tumbled - it was the biggest-ever crowd for a Hearts home match, and the largest attendance at a European match ever seen in Edinburgh, as well as a record crowd for football at Murrayfield.

Barcelona took the field in their away shirt - a "very pretty shade of turquoise," we were assured by a female colleague. With 100 countries taking the game live on television - yep, Hearts have fans everywhere - the home side started with only Andrius Velicka up front, but showed their willingness to attack early on. It took a Thuram intervention to rob diminutive trialist Audrius Ksanavicius of a certain shooting chance. Play went straight to the other end where Ronaldinho brought out the best in Gordon, the goalkeeper saving the Brazilian magician's defence-splitting low shot quite superbly. The visitors should have gone ahead after 15 minutes, when a move by Santiago Ezquerro and Xavi gave Samuel Eto'o a chance which he somehow contrived to head over from point blank range.

The match was of the proverbial 'crying out for a goal' variety, and it took the intervention of referee Dougie McDonald after 21 minutes to provide it. Zambrotta was just inside the box and causing no danger when Ksanavicius fouled him. It was a soft penalty, but Ronaldinho hit it hard past Gordon.

Not to be outdone, Hearts charged upfield and won a free kick. At that point, a fan waving a Spanish flag came onto the pitch to make an apparent protest about freedom of speech. He distracted Barcelona's defence, as coach Frank Rijkaard admitted.

As the protester was still being led away by six of Lothian and Borders' finest, Laryea Kingston's cross from the dead ball was headed back by Christophe Berra and Juho Makela pounced for the equaliser.

Ksanavicius, who looks a likely signing, almost made up for his penalty aberrance after 35 minutes, but Victor Valdes sprawled to foil him. Barcelona's second goal was made in Brazil. In the 41st minute, Sylvinho broke down the left and crossed to Ronaldinho. The world's best player rose in majestic isolation at the far post and his clever header back across goal gave Gordon no chance.

Both coaches made a raft of changes at half-time, the most important of which was Thierry Henry's arrival for Barcelona. The former Arsenal player's impact on the match was almost immediate.

Just five minutes into the half he collected a superb pass from Xavi, and with pinpoint accuracy sent a low cross into the six yard area where Giovani Dos Santos, on for Ronaldinho, had the simplest of tasks to side-foot home.

Barcelona were coasting now, while Hearts had lost any real attacking momentum. Deco and Henry gave us glimpses of their great skill, particularly when the former laid on a pass for the French star which he just failed to convert into a goal.

Hearts did not give up, however, but lacked any penetration up front, whereas every time Barcelona got the ball they looked dangerous. A superb through-ball from Toure to Dos Santos, whose effort scraped wide, was a case in point. There were later chances, but none were converted.

The biggest cheer of the half from Hearts fans was one of appreciation for Craig Gordon as he departed after 75 minutes. It was as if they were pleading to Vladimir Romanov not to let their one remaining talisman go. Gordon was later sceptical about the £9m figure reportedly bid by Sunderland for him. "The club haven't told me what kind of figure they want for me but that's up to them," said Gordon. "I'm not entirely sure that (£9m) was correct. I would be surprised if that wasn't accepted. But I've got to think I will be still be at Hearts after the transfer window closes."

Assistant head coach Stevie Frail's own position isn't yet totally secure - "I spoke to Mr Romanov last night and I hope to get things sorted before the start of the season," he said - but he knows the value of Gordon to Hearts.

"Any team wants to keep their top players and hopefully the people who make the decisions will knock back any offer for him," said Frail.

That might be the real litmus test for Vladimir Romanov's ambitions for Hearts. There is appetite in the capital for big time football. Selling Gordon might kill that hunger.

Taken from the Scotsman