Manchester United produced a comfortable 4-1 win over Schalke 04 to set up a rematch of the UEFA Champions League Final against FC Barcelona.
After a 2-0 first leg win in Germany, first half goals from Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson put the Red Devils in a dominant position. Jose Manuel Jurado pulled a goal back for Schalke, before a second half brace from Anderson finished off a glorious night for United.
United took a 26th minute lead when Gibson played in Valencia, and the Ecuador winger finished well past Manuel Neuer. Five minutes later United doubled their lead courtesy of an uncharacteristic error from Neuer. After the German goalkeeper was so impressive in the first leg, he this time allowed Gibson’s soft shot to squirm through his arms and over the line for a 2-0 score line.
Schalke responded within four minutes when Spanish playmaker Jurado took a touch inside the area and fired high beyond Edwin van der Sar for a 2-1 half-time score line.
Schalke started the second half knowing they needed three goals to progress, but it was United who created the first scoring chance. Brazilian midfielder Anderson was denied by a fine Neuer save, and Schalke struggled to come up with a telling final ball at the other end.
Anderson then wrapped up the victory with two goals in four minutes. First Anderson was first to the the rebound and fired home after having a shot blocked, then the Brazilian turned home a Dimitar Berbatov cross to make the aggregate score 6-1.
SCORING SUMMARY
MAN UTD – Antonio Valencia (Darron Gibson) 26’
MAN UTD – Darron Gibson (Antonio Valencia) 31’
SCHALKE – Jose Manuel Jurado (unassisted) 35’
MAN UTD – Anderson (Nani) 72’
MAN UTD – Anderson (Dimitar Berbatov) 76’
LINEUPS
MAN UTD – Van der Sar, Smalling, Rafael (Evra 60), O’Shea, Evans, Anderson, Nani, Scholes (Fletcher 73), Valencia, Gibson, Berbatov (Owen 77).
SCHALKE – Neuer, Escudero, Howedes (Huntelaar 69), Papadopoulos, Metzelder, Uchida, Baumjohann (Goncalves Edu 46), Jurado, Draxler, Raul, Farfan (Matip 75).
LiveSoccerTV Man of the Match: Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United).
Attendance: 74,687
United took a 26th minute lead when Gibson played in Valencia, and the Ecuador winger finished well past Manuel Neuer. Five minutes later United doubled their lead courtesy of an uncharacteristic error from Neuer. After the German goalkeeper was so impressive in the first leg, he this time allowed Gibson’s soft shot to squirm through his arms and over the line for a 2-0 score line.
Schalke responded within four minutes when Spanish playmaker Jurado took a touch inside the area and fired high beyond Edwin van der Sar for a 2-1 half-time score line.
Schalke started the second half knowing they needed three goals to progress, but it was United who created the first scoring chance. Brazilian midfielder Anderson was denied by a fine Neuer save, and Schalke struggled to come up with a telling final ball at the other end.
Anderson then wrapped up the victory with two goals in four minutes. First Anderson was first to the the rebound and fired home after having a shot blocked, then the Brazilian turned home a Dimitar Berbatov cross to make the aggregate score 6-1.
SCORING SUMMARY
MAN UTD – Antonio Valencia (Darron Gibson) 26’
MAN UTD – Darron Gibson (Antonio Valencia) 31’
SCHALKE – Jose Manuel Jurado (unassisted) 35’
MAN UTD – Anderson (Nani) 72’
MAN UTD – Anderson (Dimitar Berbatov) 76’
LINEUPS
MAN UTD – Van der Sar, Smalling, Rafael (Evra 60), O’Shea, Evans, Anderson, Nani, Scholes (Fletcher 73), Valencia, Gibson, Berbatov (Owen 77).
SCHALKE – Neuer, Escudero, Howedes (Huntelaar 69), Papadopoulos, Metzelder, Uchida, Baumjohann (Goncalves Edu 46), Jurado, Draxler, Raul, Farfan (Matip 75).
LiveSoccerTV Man of the Match: Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United).
Attendance: 74,687
