Match Report From The Schalke04 Website (English Version)
The Royal Blues went into their Champions League semi-final against 18-times English champions Manchester United as rank outsiders on Tuesday evening. Schalke were appearing in the last four of Europe's premier competition for the first time in the club's history. And for 67 minutes they defied the visitors' onslaught, until Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney struck in quick succession midway through the second half to put United on the road to victory.
Head coach Ralf Rangnick had to make do without centre-back Benedikt Höwedes, who failed a late fitness test on an abdominal strain. Joel Matip stepped in to partner Christoph Metzelder at the heart of the Schalke defence. Jose Manuel Jurado and Kyriakos Papadopoulos occupied the two holding midfield positions, while Alexander Baumjohann and Hans Sarpei, who were rested against Kaiserslautern on Saturday, also returned to the side.
The Royal Blues started confidently and were soon on the attack, Baumjohann leaving his calling card with a long-range shot after only 30 seconds. United also showed their quality in the third minute, however, when Wayne Rooney forced his way down the left and dispatched a curling effort from the corner of the box. But Manuel Neuer was able to get his fingertips to the striker's shot and turn it onto the post. Neuer also came out on top when tested moments later by Ji-Sung Park. Then Antonio Valencia raced through down the right and fed Javier Hernandez. The Mexican wasted no time in shooting from 15 metres, but the Schalke keeper was again well placed.
Schalke gave United a reminder of the threat they pose on nine minutes when Jefferson Farfan fired wide after being set up by a Raul backheel. Farfan and Atsuto Uchida were looking lively down the right, but the visitors gave frequent demonstrations of their ability to turn defence into attack with lightning speed. With 14 minutes gone Park fed Hernandez, who closed in on Neuer one on one. But the Schalke stopper defused the situation, grabbing the ball at the second attempt. The game remained a lively affair, with the Red Devils stepping up the pressure and carving out a series of openings for the darting Hernandez, as in the 26th minute, when he raced down the right and took aim from a very tight angle, only to direct his shot a whisker wide of the far post.
Neuer then showed lightning-quick reactions to prevent his side from going behind, first keeping out a Giggs header on 28 and then stretching full length to punch away a Hernandez shot ten minutes later, albeit to the feet of Park, whose effort was bravely charged down by Jurado. In the closing stages of the half the Royal Blues again tried to breach the English rearguard through Farfan, Raul and Edu, but there was no way through for the Schalke front men.
After the restart Neuer was called into action again with just two minutes gone. Giggs floated a free-kick into the centre from the left and the Germany No1 tipped Patrice Evra's header over the bar. Schalke rallied, however, and began to enjoy more of the game, with the lively Farfan, in particular, a concern for the United defence. His high cross was met by Jurado on the volley, but the ball went wide of the right-hand post. Raul then flicked a ball from the right over towards the far post, where Valencia headed behind for a corner with Sarpei lurking. Moments later Edu tested Edwin van der Sar with a long-range effort, but the Dutchman was alert to the danger.
Ultimately, however, United demonstrated their class with two quick attacking moves. First Rooney rounded substitute Peer Kluge and slipped the ball through to Giggs, who slotted home a low shot to give the visitors the lead. Then, just three minutes later, the Red Devils attacked again at pace through the centre. This time Hernandez fed Rooney, who dispatched a shot into the bottom left-hand corner. After their twin strike the visitors took some of the tempo out of the game but continued to control the proceedings. Efforts from Sergio Escudero (82) and Raul in the closing stages came to nothing, and so it ended 2-0 to United.
Schalke: Neuer – Sarpei (Escudero 72'), Metzelder, Matip, Uchida - Baumjohann (Kluge 52'), Jurado (Draxler 82'), Papadopoulos, Farfan - Edu, Raul
Manchester United: Van der Sar - Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Fabio - Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park (Scholes 73') – Rooney (Nani 82'), Hernandez (Anderson 73')
Goals: 0-1 Giggs (67'), 0-2 Rooney (70')
Yellow cards: Metzelder - Fabio
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
Attendance: 54,142 (sold out)
SOURCE:-
http://www.schalke04.com/matches/champions-league/sf-first-leg-match-report.html
Head coach Ralf Rangnick had to make do without centre-back Benedikt Höwedes, who failed a late fitness test on an abdominal strain. Joel Matip stepped in to partner Christoph Metzelder at the heart of the Schalke defence. Jose Manuel Jurado and Kyriakos Papadopoulos occupied the two holding midfield positions, while Alexander Baumjohann and Hans Sarpei, who were rested against Kaiserslautern on Saturday, also returned to the side.
The Royal Blues started confidently and were soon on the attack, Baumjohann leaving his calling card with a long-range shot after only 30 seconds. United also showed their quality in the third minute, however, when Wayne Rooney forced his way down the left and dispatched a curling effort from the corner of the box. But Manuel Neuer was able to get his fingertips to the striker's shot and turn it onto the post. Neuer also came out on top when tested moments later by Ji-Sung Park. Then Antonio Valencia raced through down the right and fed Javier Hernandez. The Mexican wasted no time in shooting from 15 metres, but the Schalke keeper was again well placed.
Schalke gave United a reminder of the threat they pose on nine minutes when Jefferson Farfan fired wide after being set up by a Raul backheel. Farfan and Atsuto Uchida were looking lively down the right, but the visitors gave frequent demonstrations of their ability to turn defence into attack with lightning speed. With 14 minutes gone Park fed Hernandez, who closed in on Neuer one on one. But the Schalke stopper defused the situation, grabbing the ball at the second attempt. The game remained a lively affair, with the Red Devils stepping up the pressure and carving out a series of openings for the darting Hernandez, as in the 26th minute, when he raced down the right and took aim from a very tight angle, only to direct his shot a whisker wide of the far post.
Neuer then showed lightning-quick reactions to prevent his side from going behind, first keeping out a Giggs header on 28 and then stretching full length to punch away a Hernandez shot ten minutes later, albeit to the feet of Park, whose effort was bravely charged down by Jurado. In the closing stages of the half the Royal Blues again tried to breach the English rearguard through Farfan, Raul and Edu, but there was no way through for the Schalke front men.
After the restart Neuer was called into action again with just two minutes gone. Giggs floated a free-kick into the centre from the left and the Germany No1 tipped Patrice Evra's header over the bar. Schalke rallied, however, and began to enjoy more of the game, with the lively Farfan, in particular, a concern for the United defence. His high cross was met by Jurado on the volley, but the ball went wide of the right-hand post. Raul then flicked a ball from the right over towards the far post, where Valencia headed behind for a corner with Sarpei lurking. Moments later Edu tested Edwin van der Sar with a long-range effort, but the Dutchman was alert to the danger.
Ultimately, however, United demonstrated their class with two quick attacking moves. First Rooney rounded substitute Peer Kluge and slipped the ball through to Giggs, who slotted home a low shot to give the visitors the lead. Then, just three minutes later, the Red Devils attacked again at pace through the centre. This time Hernandez fed Rooney, who dispatched a shot into the bottom left-hand corner. After their twin strike the visitors took some of the tempo out of the game but continued to control the proceedings. Efforts from Sergio Escudero (82) and Raul in the closing stages came to nothing, and so it ended 2-0 to United.
Schalke: Neuer – Sarpei (Escudero 72'), Metzelder, Matip, Uchida - Baumjohann (Kluge 52'), Jurado (Draxler 82'), Papadopoulos, Farfan - Edu, Raul
Manchester United: Van der Sar - Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Fabio - Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park (Scholes 73') – Rooney (Nani 82'), Hernandez (Anderson 73')
Goals: 0-1 Giggs (67'), 0-2 Rooney (70')
Yellow cards: Metzelder - Fabio
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
Attendance: 54,142 (sold out)
SOURCE:-
http://www.schalke04.com/matches/champions-league/sf-first-leg-match-report.html
