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United beat Schalke to reach Champions League final

Other News Materials 5 May 2011 02:23 (UTC +04:00)
Manchester United will face Barcelona in the Champions League final after beating Schalke 04 4-1 on Wednesday to complete a 6-1 aggregate triumph.
United beat Schalke to reach Champions League final

Manchester United will face Barcelona in the Champions League final after beating Schalke 04 4-1 on Wednesday to complete a 6-1 aggregate triumph, DPA reported.

Schalke were outclassed over the two legs, and could face UEFA sanctions after their fans attacked police and stewards during the first half.

Goals from Luis Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson had United 2-0 up inside half an hour and although Jose Manuel Jurado pulled one back, Anderson made the game safe with two late goals.

After a 2-0 win the first leg, United fielded a much changed team, with several key players left out, rested ahead of Sunday's vital Premier League game against Chelsea.

Schalke had some early possession and Jefferson Farfan fired just wide from 20 yards, but United were comfortable and took a 26th- minute lead.

Atsuto Uchida squandered possession, allowing Gibson, hounded off Twitter by United fans who doubt his ability, to play a wonderful through-pass to Valencia. The Ecuadorian finished calmly.

Five minutes later, it was two. Valencia burst into the box after a neatly-worked throw-in routine, and as the ball ran away from him, it came to Gibson on the 18-yard line.

His shot was low and straight at Manuel Neuer, but the goalkeeper, who almost single-handedly prevented a rout in Gelsenkirchen last week, allowed the ball to cannon off his shin, onto the post, and in.

From nothing, though, Schalke reduced the deficit five minutes later, Jose Manuel Jurado firing in after Chris Smalling had been caught in possession leading to a cross that was only half-cleared.

United wobbled slightly, with Gibson, Paul Scholes and Anderson collecting yellow cards in quick succession, but their composure returned after half-time.

Anderson almost added a third with a curler but was denied by a fingertip save from Neuer, and did add a second with 18 minutes remaining, finishing at the second attempt from Nani's cross.

Darren Fletcher, back after two months out with a stomach virus, was immediately brought off the bench, suggesting he could have a part to play against Chelsea at the weekend.

The fourth came after 76 minutes, Anderson adding his second of the night - only his fourth for United - after Valencia had laid in Dimitar Berbatov to draw Neuer then square for the Brazilian.

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