Keeper’s heroics not enough to stop United

Manchester United took a giant step towards reaching this year’s Champions League final at Wembley, with a convincing 2-0 victory away at Schalke. Second-half goals from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney gave United the upper hand in the tie, while Schalke never really looked like threatening to spring a surprise. The score could well have ended closer to 10-0 if it hadn’t had been for the super human effort by Schalke’s keeper Manuel Neuer pulling off save after save to keep his side theoretically still in the tie. The Champions League betting indicates they’ll need a minor miracle though.

Despite dominating the game from the first whistle, United failed to find a way past Germany’s number one Neuer. Javier Hernandez, Giggs, Rooney and Ji Sung Park were all denied by the German stopper to send the two sides into half-time level. Schalke’s one man defence was finally breached in the 67th minute when Rooney played Giggs clear with a delicious ball, the Welsh veteran finishing coolly to give his side the lead.

Just over two minutes later and the English side doubled their lead, this time Rooney finishing after getting on the end of a clever ball by strike-partner Hernandez. The lively strike partnership created a host of chances and the Germans will be well aware that without Neuer, this tie would be dead and buried. With Edwin van der Sar hanging up his gloves at the end of the current campaign, Sir Alex would certainly have been impressed with the young German stopper.

Bad news for the United boss though, is that it is reported that Bayern Munich have already agreed an £18million deal for Neuer, and it looks like United will need to continue their hunt for a number one capable of replacing van der Sar. The Dutchman was probably the most relaxed person in the packed Gelsenkirche Arena, with Schalke offering next to nothing in attack, while there overused defence were breached time and time again. The football betting suggests their time in the tournament is all but over.

After causing such waves in the last round against reigning champions Inter Milan, this display by Schalke was something of a surprise. While the tie isn’t technically over, it would take a mammoth effort from the German side to overturn this score-line in the second-leg.