Allen Hamilton
What: UEFA Champions League Semi-final Second Leg
Who: Manchester United (2) vs Schalke (0) (First leg score in brackets)
When: Wednesday 4th May, 2011, at 19:45 UK time
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Can’t Lose It All Now
Manchester United are bossing the Premier League and also strolling through the Champions League, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson is all too aware that his team have won nothing yet. The FA Cup was considered nailed-on until local rivals Manchester City grabbed a gritty semi-final win over United and now, with Ferguson having watched a 1-0 weekend loss to Arsenal reduce their lead over second-placed Chelsea to just three points, must ensure nerves do not creep in.
A splendid first leg performance in Germany, which yielded a 2-0 win that should have, but for Manuel Neuer in the Schalke goal, been 3-0 or 4-0, has made this encounter somewhat easier for United. At Old Trafford fans do not expect a two-goal loss, the type that would be needed to take the tie to extra time, and train, plane and hotel tickets for the 28th May in London have already been frantically booked.
And Ferguson will do all he can through making changes to make sure the second leg is the formality so many of the Red Devils’ supporters believe, especially in the wake of the 1-0 defeat at the Emirates – and also with Chelsea at Old Trafford next Sunday to come.
"Wednesday’s a European semi-final second leg and we’ve got the game on Sunday", said the United boss. "They’re two massive games. We’ll regroup and get them freshened up. I’ll make some changes, without question, on Wednesday. We’ll bring Paul Scholes back in. Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, fresh players. We need to do that, but also, I’ve probably got to keep experienced players at the back. We’ll be alright."
Some Hope Still Alive?
Schalke were, quite simply, outplayed in the first leg on home turf. The 90 minutes in Gelsenkirchen did nothing to reveal just why Ralf Rangnick’s side deserved a spot in the Champions League semi-finals. If anything, the display merely confirmed that their mid-table Bundesliga standing is an accurate one. Were it not for the heroics of Manuel Neuer, himself so disillusioned with the prospect of winning trophies at the Veltins Arena he will leave this summer, then Schalke would have been on the receiving end of a very heavy defeat.
As it is the Germans retain hope. And their fans ponder that ‘surely the team can’t play any worse?’. It is this which United themselves will be wary of when the Bundesliga outfit take to the Old Trafford turf. The weekend’s Bundesliga action will not have fostered hope though, with Bayern Munich thrashing the Ruhr side 4-1 at the Allianz Arena and Rangnick knows his side must turn over a new leaf.
"We need to improve in a couple of areas in the return match. Manchester United are clearly in the driving seat, but you never know what can happen in football. We’ve got absolutely nothing to lose now and we’ll try to find out way back into the tie."
Recent form
Manchester United:
Manchester United 1-0 Everton
(23/04; Premier League)
Schalke 0-2 Manchester United
(26/04; Champions League)
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United
(01/05; Premier League)
Schalke:
Schalke 0-1 Kaiserslautern
(23/04; Bundesliga)
Schalke 0-2 Manchester United
(26/04; Champions League)
Bayern Munich 4-1 Schalke (30/04; Bundesliga)
Key absences
Manchester United: Owen Hargreaves; Darren Fletcher; Anders Lindegaard; Wayne Rooney
Schalke: Christian Pander; Klaas-Jan Huntelaar; Tim Hoogland; Mario Gavranovic
Players to watch
Manchester United – Paul Scholes: Despite being one of United’s most experienced performers, Scholes has seen as much time on the bench as on the pitch this season, often overshadowed by fellow "grandee" Ryan Giggs. However, fresh due to suspension, Scholes will be handed the chance to impress here and with his range of passing and vision he could well dominate the midfield.
Schalke – Manuel Neuer: While it won’t be a clean sheet that will decide this game, it is essential for Schalke to avoid crumbling under early United pressure. Should the home side score early on then all hope of a resurrection will disappear. Neuer therefore must continue his excellent form and build the foundations for a German resurgence.
Match Prediction
United look in a good position to advance to the Champions League final and, having lost at the weekend to Arsenal, won’t want to head into a vital clash with Chelsea having been dumped out of Europe. With fresh legs coming into the team and Schalke’s defence shipping goals at an alarming rate, there is only one winner of this game. Manchester United 2-0 Schalke.
For top betting tips and a wide range of markets and odds on Manchester United v Schalke don’t forget to visit OLBG.
