There was plenty of talk about Paul Pogba in the build-up and, naturally, about Lionel Messi, but not so much about Scott McTominay.

He is not the sort to attract lots of column inches and perhaps never will be but, even in defeat, this felt like a coming-of-age performance from the Manchester United midfielder.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had demanded a big performance from Pogba. In the end, he got one from McTominay. United may feel less twitched about losing Ander Herrera to Paris St-Germain this summer after watching this from the 22-year-old Scotland international.

It may still not help them in the context of this tie. United need to win at the Nou Camp but they go to Barcelona with a flicker of hope at least and will take some comfort from the knowledge that they have found goals much easier to come by on the road in Europe than at Old Trafford, where they have scored just once in five Champions League matches this term.

It was not exactly a midfield to inspire confidence in United supporters. Okay, so Pogba was in there, but McTominay, Fred and nominally Diogo Dalot seemed more likely to evoke chilling memories of Paris 2005 - when United lost 1-0 to Lille on an abject night at the Stade de France with a midfield trio of Darren Fletcher, Kieran Richardson and John O’Shea - than Barcelona ’99.