Fergie revels in semi-final dominance

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with his side's performance as they brushed Schalke aside to close in on a spot in this season's Champions League final.

AssociatedRyan Giggs set Manchester United on their way to an easy victory at Veltins-Arena

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Ferguson has not enjoyed much luck against German sides in two-legged knockout ties in the Champions League, losing all four of his previous clashes.
But the tide appears to have turned for the wily Scot, after his United side comfortably beat Schalke 2-0 to close in on a Wembley berth.
United completely ran the first 45 minutes but could not find a way past Schalke's highly-rated goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and it took until the 67th for the away side to finally break the deadlock.
Ryan Giggs, who had missed a couple of fantastic chances, was played in by Wayne Rooney and finished well before Rooney himself made it 2-0 only two minutes later.
"Our concentration, intensity and speed of passing was excellent,'' Ferguson told Sky Sports. "We had less chances in the second half but were more dangerous, when Chicharito scored and it was offside it told the players they could beat the goalkeeper.''
Ferguson also suggested the ability to name the same starting 11 that played against Chelsea in the last round was a deciding factor.
"The continuity of selection in these games gives us good experience and work-rate and I have good options with the likes of Nani, Scholes and Anderson. We have selection problems now but that is what we want.''
The United boss even went as far as suggesting he could rest key players in the return leg as the fight to win back the Premier League takes preference.
"Depending on the result on Sunday [at Arsenal] I could make two or three changes because we play Chelsea the following weekend.
"We are a bit disappointed we didn't take more chances but overall we are delighted with the performance. In the first half especially we had some good chances and we were disappointed at half time not to be in front.''
But Rooney refused to accept that United now have one foot in the final at Wembley, knowing that Schalke scored five goals in the San Siro against Inter in the last round.
"Schalke are a good team and we can't take them lightly. We need to make sure we are professional and full concentrated,'' he said.
Giggs insisted the players were confident they would be able to find a goal despite being constantly thwarted by the impressive Neuer.
"We knew that if we kept creating chances one would go in and hopefully I would get one on my left foot rather than my right,'' he said. "Before the game we would have taken 2-0 but now we are slightly disappointed.''
The Welshman, who became the oldest player to score in the history of the Champions League, also praised the depth of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.
"We've got a tough game coming up Sunday so the manager rotated and we are obviously pleased, the lads who came on did well too so it's not just about the 11 players, it's about the squad,'' he said.

United dismantle Schalke to close in on final

Barring an unlikely Schalke victory at Old Trafford next week, Manchester United will contest the Champions League final at Wembley on May 28 after a one-sided encounter in Germany.

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Ryan Giggs slid home Manchester United's opener, making him the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history

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Wayne Rooney shows his disbelief as another chance goes begging
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Scoring Summary

Ryan Giggs and the outstanding Wayne Rooney scored United's goals in a two-minute second-half spell in the semi-final first leg at the Vetlins-Arena.
Prior to that, though, Sir Alex Ferguson's men had wasted an astonishing 13 chances to score - 11 of them coming before the break.
It left Schalke needing a three-goal triumph to progress to a meeting with either Real Madrid or Barcelona. On this evidence, United have absolutely nothing to worry about.
And for Rooney in particular, the prospect of the club's fifth European Cup final - on the ground where they won their first in 1968 - means personal redemption, having returned to the Gelsenkirchen arena where he was sent off on his last visit for England, to produce a wondrous performance that confirmed his renaissance beyond any doubt.
As United trudged in at half-time, they cannot have known whether to laugh or cry. Their pace, power and precision was simply too much for Schalke, who were opened up with a regularity barely credible at this level of the game. Incredibly though, the score remained goalless.
Starting with a Rooney effort that flicked off Atsuto Uchida and forced Manuel Neuer into the first of a series of magnificent saves, and ending with a last-minute opportunity when Giggs raced onto a Rooney through-ball and failed to beat the Germany No. 1, United created 11 clear chances.
Had they done that over the duration of both legs, Ferguson would probably have been quite pleased. To do so in a single half, and not to take any of them, defied belief.
Rooney could only have wished he was on the end of some. Instead, Park Ji-Sung had two opportunities charged down, Giggs was denied by Neuer twice and Fabio flashed a half-volley over the bar.
By far the worst culprit was Javier Hernandez. Lauded in recent weeks after a series of timely interventions which have sent United surging towards a record 19th league title, the Mexican was too much for Schalke's beleaguered defence.
For once, though, the 22-year-old had left his shooting boots at home. Whether he was being set up by Antonio Valencia, outstanding on the right wing, Rooney or Park, Hernandez just could not find the target. Partly it was his fault as shots flew wide of the Schalke goal, while on other occasions Neuer was in the way.
It appears the Germany keeper is on his way to Bayern Munich this summer, which for United is a pity, because on this evidence he would be a worthy successor to Edwin van der Sar, who is retiring at the end of the season. On a record-equalling 13th semi-final appearance, Van der Sar was a virtual bystander once he had made a couple of early stops to deny Jefferson Farfan.
Worryingly for Ferguson, the profligacy continued after the restart. Neuer denied Michael Carrick with a brilliant fingertip save but, when the Schalke defence opened up for Giggs shortly afterwards, the Welshman's effort with his weaker right foot was woeful.
There must have been a huge fear in the United camp that Schalke would soon start to show the form that got them to this stage of the competition and put five goals past Inter Milan at the San Siro in the quarter-final.
Thankfully for Ferguson and his team, they did some damage first. Rooney was the architect of the opener, threading a fine ball through to Giggs who, with his left foot, calmly slotted home.
Two minutes late, United had another chance as Hernandez set up Rooney. From 10 yards and in a similar position to Giggs, he was never likely to miss as he bagged his 14th goal of the season.
In the knowledge that a three-goal triumph for Schalke at Old Trafford in eight days' time is impossible to imagine, Ferguson's introduction of Anderson and Paul Scholes was designed purely to shore up the midfield.
It worked, too, allowing United to stroll home and let their minds wander towards Sunday's Premier League trip to Arsenal.

Evra warns against 'disaster'

Patrice Evra knows at first hand the damage complacency could do to Manchester United's bid to reach the Champions League final and he has warned his team-mates to avoid a "disaster".

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Only a heavy defeat to Schalke at Old Trafford next week can end their hopes of playing in a third final in four years after their 2-0 win over the German side in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday night.
It seems highly unlikely yet Evra knows the improbable can sometimes turn out to be possible, as his own career shows.
"In football you never know,'' the France defender said. "I remember playing for Monaco in the 2004 quarter-final and we played in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and lost 4-2. Real thought they were going into the semi-final. They thought they were there already. But in the second leg we won 3-1 and went through.''
Evra believes that tie provides a valuable lesson and will ensure his team-mates do not get too far ahead of themselves and start dreaming of a Wembley date with either a Real Madrid side containing United old boy Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona, who gave them a footballing lesson during the 2009 final in Rome.
"We have to be as professional next week as we were last night and keep going,'' Evra said. "We have to win at Old Trafford. But I must say if we don't go through to the final now then it would be a disaster for Man United.''
Providing United retain the same mentality, Evra is certain they will make it. Certainly, there was little evidence last night of a team capable of going to Old Trafford and making a game of it, even if the 5-2 win at Inter Milan in the previous round shows what Schalke are capable of.
"We just have to do our job,'' Evra said. "We are very near to the final now but we have to complete the task we have started. I am not surprised we did well and the game was one-sided because we showed Schalke so much respect. We respected them a lot. Before the game we just said we play the semi-final and that it didn't matter who our opponents were. That was important in playing the way we did.