Manchester United made it look easy and defeated Schalke 04 at Old Trafford for an aggregate score of 6 – 1. The ‘Red Devils’ will face F.C. Barcelona in the final match of the UEFA Champions League on May 28th, 2011 at Wembley Stadium.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men performed brilliantly even with the absence of Giggs, Vidic, Rooney and Hernández. Valencia, Gibson and Anderson (twice) scored for United. Jurado scored for the German squad.
Henry Winter (The Daily Telegraph) reports United fans did take time out to show their appreciation of Raúl, whose work-rate was impressive. Too many of his Schalke team-mates were not good enough.
United will be going back to the future in their quest for a fourth European crown. It was at the old Wembley in 1968 that they first held aloft the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. The presence of Barcelona also provides a rematch of not just Rome 2009 but also the 1991 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final in Rotterdam that brought Sir Alex his first European trophy as United manager. Simon Hart (UEFA.com).
May 4th, 2011.