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Manchester United will be looking to confirm their place in the Champions League final tonight as they host giant-killers Schalke 04 at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men lead 2-0 from the first-leg, so they are overwhelming favourites to join Barcelona in the Wembley final, but they will be wary of the threat Schalke possess.
The German side put five past Champions League holders Inter Milan at the San Siro earlier in the competition, so they are more than capable of scoring on the road.
If Manchester United perform as they did in Germany last week though, they will progress with ease to the final. They were extremely impressive and efficient as they strolled to a 2-0 win thanks to strikes from Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
However, the Red Devils haven’t had it all their own way of late. Defeat to Arsenal at the weekend means that Chelsea are well in contention to challenge for the Premier League title.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men sit only three points behind United and the two teams meet on Sunday afternoon in a game that is likely to be decisive in the title race.
This affects Ferguson’s approach to tonight’s game significantly. With such an important game coming up at the weekend and with a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first-leg, the Man United boss is likely to rest a few players.
Some may say this is a risk considering a Champions League final place is at stake, but you would back Ferguson to get the balance right. Tonight is still a massive game in their season.
As for Schalke, they go into the game with nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting them to win the game, let alone score enough times to progress. They need at least three if they are to qualify in 90 minutes, after all.
This will make their pre-match discussions much easier though. They have to attack Manchester United and take the game to their hosts. Of course they don’t want to overdo it and concede early on, thus making their challenge even more difficult, but they must be a threat going forward.
Looking at the team news for this one, as mentioned Manchester United will make a change or two. Rooney is likely to sit out with a tight hamstring, making way for Dimitar Berbatov, while Michael Owen could also start.
Fabio da Silva will miss out with an injury, with Michael Carrick and Edwin van der Sar could also be amongst the rested players. Anders Lindegaard and Darren Fletcher are available again and could be involved.
With regards to Schalke, they are hoping to have Benedikt Hoewedes available again after a stomach muscle injury. Klass-Jan Huntelaar could also be involved after a two-month spell on the sidelines.
As ever in situations like this, the first goal is going to be crucial. If Manchester United extend their aggregate lead, the tie is as good as over. If Schalke score first, they have an outside chance.
Overall though, it is widely expected to be a Barcelona v Manchester United final at Wembley on 28th May 2011.
