The white ankle socks were a giveaway. The white boots dazzled in the Dundonian sunshine. This boy knows how to stand out in a crowd. He slalomed his way effortlessly around opponents like they were ski poles, pinging delightful passes to colleagues and enchanting a respectful audience. It was inevitable his name would be among the superstar goalscorers.

For 45 minutes, Prince Buaben threatened to hijack the Barcelona show at Tannadice. Until, of course, Lionel Messi arrived to take the entertainment value of a pre-season game to unprecedented levels of skill and cunning. But more of that in a bit.

This was as important a test for United as it was for the kings of Catalunya. For provincial clubs in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, this is as good as it gets. After Pep Guardiola's side gobbled up Hibernian at Murrayfield last midweek, United presented a more rigorous workout for a team who will not be allowed another season in the shadow of Madrid's Galacticos.

United had the audacity to take the lead and celebrated like it was 1987 all over again. It went rapidly downhill from there. It would be easy to say Buaben got Barcelona's back up, that Thierry Henry showed fleeting moments of class, that the boy Bojan has a big future. Even easier to record Messi's marvel. Barcelona's superiority was such that even the seagulls came to watch them. Out of respect, they didn't mark the occasion from a great height.

The Catalan cavalcade has packed up and left. They have left behind new admirers for their classy conduct throughout their week in St Andrews. They have also exposed, unintentionally but brutally all the same, the frailties of Scottish football outwith the Old Firm. After Hibernian's ominous collapse, Barcelona took their goal tally to 11 in two games. United at least gave them half a game.

Where Guardiola kept Messi and Samuel Eto'o in reserve for the second half, and gave Alexander Hleb the day off, United were at full strength simply to stand a chance of preserving pride. Lucasz Zaluska left his goal at 1-1. That alone is a ringing endorsement of the Polish keeper's credentials.

It was Buaben who revelled in the richness of the competition. He is the exactly the kind of player Rangers crave and have looked everywhere but their own doorstep to find. Buaben is quick, nimble, inventive, exciting and, above all else, cheap. He has the ability to replace Russell Latapy as the most captivating player outwith the Old Firm.

It was fitting he should earn the first cheers of adulation. After Henry struck Zaluska's crossbar, Buaben went one better. Such was the mutual appreciation at Tannadice, the convoy of Catalan journalists acclaimed the goal as they looked at each other quizzically. Danny Grainger's teasing chip skimmed the head of Daniel Alaves, Warren Feeney foraged out wide and delivered a delightful cross that was cushioned past Vitor Valdes by Buaben's forehead.

In that one blissful moment, 13,000 fans were transported back to a time when Paul Sturrock would have embraced Eamonn Bannon and Maurice Malpas for such support; a time when simple fruit and veg were advertised on jerseys, not the ideals of world peace and benevolence.

In relative terms, Levein has worked his own wonders on the United team. Their central defence remains chronically slow and Darren Dods' disastrous defending allowed Henry to pinch an equaliser within seconds of Buaben's opener. The addition of Feeney and Scott Robertson has given the team a vibrancy and dynamism the envy of all but Celtic. Margaro Gomis and Buaben are eye-catching under the right conditions, while Willo Flood made Eidur Gudjohnsen's day as uncomfortable as possible.

The Icelander limped out with a minor injury but is already looking forward to his next meeting with the Scots, the World Cup qualification match in Rejkjavik. "We have played Scotland a few times and they have been good games," he said in a broad English accent. "You guys come over, drink all our beer, enjoy yourselves and then go back home.

"To be honest, we have a new start at Iceland. We have a new manager, new tactics and new players. I do not follow Icelandic football so much so I don't really know what the new players are like but I know it will be tough because your team raised a few eyebrows in qualification for Euro 2008."

And so to the majestic Messi. He was introduced while the A Team theme tune blasted out of Tannadice's antiquated Tannoy system and scored a hat trick in less time than it took BA Barracus and co to make a bomb out of a bucket, a hose and some occasional furniture. The first was pure cheek, dancing past to an oddly rapturous reception from United's fans. The second was a gymnastic one-two with Eto'o and the third a tap-in after Eto'o was foiled by Michael McGovern. In between times, Eto'o had his own moment of fun but Messi was the real master of ceremonies.

As Cristiano Ronaldo works up a tan of Jimmy Calderwood proportions in LA, the Argentine of alabaster complexion makes a compelling case to be the world's best.