Schalke’ 04 vs. Manchester United – UEFA Champions League: Player ratings for Manchester United (Part 2)
Following the player ratings for Manchester United’s goalkeeper and their back line in the win over Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg, it is now time to shed some light on the performances of United’s midfield four and attacking
duo, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez...
Luis http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Antonio-Valencia-c6345
Valencia was a thorn in Schalke 04’s side throughout the match but his final ball was wayward on most occasions. This is reflected by the fact that he only completed 53 out of 68 passes, a statistic which gives him a pass completion rate of only 78 percent.
However, statistic alone won’t do justice to the Ecuadorian winger’s contribution to the Red Devils’ 2-0 win on Tuesday night in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Germany-c2904. Valencia was inventive on the ball and created space for others to exploit as he pulled and pushed the Schalke 04 defense.
Rating: 7/10
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Michael-Carrick-c25282
Perhaps Manchester United’s best player on the night, Carrick was a man in his own mood against Schalke 04. Previously criticized for being lackluster with his passing, Carrick provided a strict shut-up call to his critics by putting in a match winning midfield
display for the Red Devils. The ex-Tottenham playmaker completed 87 percent of his passes as 94 of his 108 passes reached their intended target. Simplicity has always been the Englishman’s finest trait but Carrick covered more ground than any other Manchester
United player on the field, covering 11.42 kilometers at Veltins-Arena.
Rating: 9/10
Ryan Giggs
Age is never an issue for Giggs who at the age of 37 years is still tearing defenses apart. It was his clever run from the midfield area that opened up space for Manchester United’s first goal of the match. Giggs started the match in a central midfield position
and netted the Red Devils’ opening goal. He also played a major part in his team’s second goal of the night by Rooney. Ferguson will be hoping that his evergreen veteran footballer can keep his form till the end of the season.
Rating: 8.5/10
Park Ji Sung
Park was assigned to make life difficult for Schalke 04’s midfield four on the night rather than contribute to the offensive built up by Manchester United. The South Korean national didn’t disappoint Sir Alex with his determined approach to the match. Park
hassled the likes of Jurado and Papadopoulos as Manchester Untied marched onto a comprehensive two goal win over the Bundesliga outfit away from home. It can be argued that Park should’ve scored in the first half but the experienced midfielder was denied thanks
to some inspired goalkeeping from http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Manuel-Neuer-c23424. Rating: 8/10
Wayne Rooney
Creator of Manchester United’s first goal against Schalke and scorer of their second, Rooney was at his characteristic best. He fell back into the midfield area to provide Manchester United more options on the ball which was evident through his final pass
which led toward http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ryan-Giggs-c31985’ goal. For United’s second, Rooney showcased his predatory instincts as he latched onto Javier Hernandez’s through ball. All in all, a confident display by a player high on morale. Rating: 8.5/10
Javier Hernandez
It was a strange outing for Hernandez in Germany. On one hand, the Mexican striker failed to exhibit his prolific self despite having a host of chances in the first half, but on the other hand, he proved why young players are so good at improvising when
situations get tough as he assisted http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736’s first and Manchester United’s second goal of the night. Hernandez has been a bargain signing for United and he will be a favourite to start in Ferguson’s books when the second leg takes place at Old Trafford.
Rating: 7.5/10
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