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United stroll to victory over poor Schalke

Society Materials 27 April 2011 01:54 (UTC +04:00)

Manchester United took a major step towards the Champions League final on Tuesday with a 2-0 win away to Schalke 04, dpa reported.

In a staggeringly one-sided game, United were utterly dominant, and might have won even more comprehensively.

Ryan Giggs finally broke the deadlock midway through the second half, and Wayne Rooney added a second soon after.

United created a string of chances against a rickety Schalke backline, but they were thwarted by a series of superb saves by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Rooney ran the game, Schalke unable to exert any pressure on him, and with United having around two-thirds of the possession, Schalke never had enough of the ball to bring their attacking players into the game.

First Rooney, cutting in from the left, saw his deflected shot superbly tipped over by Manuel Neuer, then Park Ji-Sung floating in from the left, drew the goalkeeper into a fine low save.

Javier Hernandez slipped after being picked out by a superb curling pass from Antonio Valencia, and then shot into Neuer after Park's pass had beaten the offside trap.

The young Mexican has been in superb form of late, and he flashed a shot just wide, and then fired across the face of goal after being played in by Valencia.

It seemed at that stage just a matter of time before United scored. Neuer kept out a Giggs header from Nemanja Vidic's cross with a powerful right hand.

Neuer made yet another fine save from an angled shot after 36 minutes, Park's follow-up being blocked by Atsuto Uchida.

Then, just on the stroke of half-time, Rooney played in Giggs and Neuer made yet another save.

The second half began in similar fashion, with Neuer tipping over a Patrice Evra header. Giggs fired wide when well-placed before the introduction of Peer Kluge for Alexander Baumjohann gave Schalke some solidity in midfield.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 67 minutes, Rooney sliding in Giggs who slipped his finish under Neuer.

Two minutes later, Rooney added the second, sweeping into the bottom corner after being laid in by Hernandez.

Not until the 81st minute did Schalke create a genuine chance, the substitute Sergio Escudero drawing a diving low save from Edwin van der Sar with a 25-yard drive.

For United this was almost embarrassingly easy.

United are still to concede away from home in this season's competition, and with two away goals are surely on their way to the final at Wembley.

The second semi-final sees Rela Madrid take on their Spanish rivals Barcelona on Wednesday.

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