Schalke 04 versus Manchester United – First half review: UEFA Champions League (Part 2)
Following Manchester United’s threatening start to the match, Schalke 04 descended into a defensive shell. The home team found it hard to keep pace with the Red Devils’ in the first half of the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at Veltins-Arena.
This pessimistic mentality acted as a counter-productive mechanism for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ralf-c30492 Rangnick’s team as they sat back and invited pressure onto themselves. Manchester United certainly didn’t need an invitation to attack as the English giants were desperate on the
night to gain an away goal advantage to take to the second leg at Old Trafford.
In the 9th minute, Jefferson Farfan had a brilliant chance to give Schalke 04 the lead as the German side embarked on a rare counter attack. The Peruvian winger cut inside http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Patrice-Evra-c29231 and then fired off a shot at Edwin Van der Sar’s goal. Luckily
enough for the away side, Farfan’s effort sailed wide off the goal as the score line remained at 0-0.
In the 14th minute, Javier Hernandez had a golden opportunity to give Manchester United the lead at Veltins-Arena. This time Park Ji Sung slipped a finely timed through ball towards the Mexican striker who found himself in an onside position inside
the Schalke 04 penalty area. The young target-man didn’t need a second chance to shoot as he tested Manuel Neuer’s reflexes but the German goalkeeper dove acrobatically to his left and denied United their first goal of the encounter.
In the 21st minute, Javier Hernandez found himself in a one-on-one goal scoring situation once again for the Red Devils. The speedy Mexican striker beat the offside trap but due to his acute angle with regard to the goal, his shot found the side
netting rather than the back of the net.
In the 22nd minute, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez combined to a great effect for Manchester United. Hernandez was played in by Ryan Giggs but despite the fact that the Mexican goal-scorer had space to test the goalkeeper, he decided to square
the ball towards Rooney. Metzelder read the young striker’s intentions and thus intercepted the pass for the home side.
In the 26th minute, Manchester United’s Hernandez was a live wire once again as he out muscled Joel Matip before firing off a shot at Schalke 04’s goal. Disappointingly enough, Javier Hernandez’s shot lacked accuracy as the score line remained
at 0-0.
In the 28th minute, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nemanja-Vidic-c27550. The Welshman headed the ball downwards into the Schalke goal but Neuer showcased tremendous reflexes as he dove
to his right and stopped the ball from crossing the goal-line with his foot.
In the 34th minute, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736 near the half-way line after the Englishman had shown the German a clean pair of heels.
In the 44th minute, Ryan Giggs had the best chance of the match to beat Manuel Neuer but the muscular German denied the Welshman once again as he came out of his six yard box to palm away Giggs’ fine finish.
Thus the first half came to an end at the halftime whistle following a barrage of offensive maneuvers by Manchester United. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Manuel-Neuer-c23424 kept his team in the match by proving to be a wall in front of the Schalke 04 goal.
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