Schalke 04 vs Manchester United, Champions league semi final first leg

Blatter

VS

[1st leg]
Tuesday 26th April 2011
Uefa Champions League
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)
KO: 19:45 BST



Possible line ups:

Schalke; Neuer, Sarpei, Howedes, Papadopoulos, Metzelder, Uchida, Matip, Baumjohann, Jurado, Goncalves Edu

Man Utd; van der Saar, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Park, Giggs, Carrick, Valencia, Rooney, Hernandez.

The_Kew_Tour

I'm nervous already.

I be very happy with 1-1 now if honest. It's going be tough match for United.

flahavaj

Aye, nervous as well, Schalke deserve our respect. Hopefully can nick an aul away goal. Arsenal at the weekend will be a distraction too.

Desire.

I really hope Schalke give United a good game. I'd love to see them in the final for a change.

ShamoBuc

I reckon schalke will win this one and if they can keep united scoreless will have a chance to go through to the final. German teams are not to be taken lightly and they are well capable of causing an upset, should be an interesting tie.

lordgoat

ShamoBuc wrote: »

I reckon schalke will win this one and if they can keep united scoreless will have a chance to go through to the final. German teams are not to be taken lightly and they are well capable of causing an upset, should be an interesting tie.

Just out of morbid curiosity? What's making you think this?

Le King

Man United XI:

van der Sar
Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Valencia Carrick Giggs Park
Rooney
Hernandez

Unless Rafael is still injured I can't see any other team.

PHB

Away goal. If we get one, i'm fairly confident of beating them at home. Just get the away goal, two if possible The stage is set imo for a magical Rooney performance. He's playing great, but I want to see him as he was in the first half vs. Bayern!

PHB

Replying from the other thread

ROCKMAN wrote: »

hmmm not sure ,with it been the away leg first can see 5 in the middle and maybe one up front , Could be Rooney out wide And Hernandz or Owen up front..
Personally like to see Rooney on the bench , one up front and Anderson to make it a 5 man midfield .. (Sunday's game in mind ..)

I think Rooney will be dropping back into the middle a lot. He's been playing very deep lately anyway so it's not a huge deal. Sure he was playing holding midfielder for the last 5 mins vs. Everton.

Park will also tuck in to provide the extra men in midfield. The movement up front will work best too because Carrick and Giggs will have plently of options.

bradlente

Roo's the main man tomorrow without a doubt.Coming deep to help out the probable line-up of giggs carrick and break up play,The middle's definitley the weakness.Chico will do some good pressing too.
A nice big pitch(by the looks of it) for good width,Should get some quality countering down the flanks too.This Schalke side are good but they've overachieved tbf,I'll be very suprised if they win it over 2 legs,Not so much if they win tomorrow.
I have a feeling it'll come down to a war of attrition that Utd will win.They might have to do it ugly to stop this Schalke side,Good practice for Barca:D

2-1 Utd tomorrow.

Le King

I'm just wondering might Fergie bring Park in the middle to look after Jurado or keep him on the left to manage Farfan and Uchida with Evra.

Schlake hammered Inter in the middle with 4 against Inter's 5. Papadopoulos will man mark Rooney as he did with Sneijder.

I think Fergie will definitely be going for the win here.

1-2 United.

Le King

Schalke XI:

Neuer
Uchida Howedes Matip Sarpei
Papadopoulos
Farfan Jurardo Baumjohann
Raul
Edu

Blatter

Le King wrote: »

Schalke XI:

Neuer
Uchida Howedes Matip Sarpei
Papadopoulos
Farfan Jurardo Baumjohann
Raul
Edu

Why no Metzelder? He's a key player for them.

ROCKMAN

Le King wrote: »

I'm just wondering might Fergie bring Park in the middle to look after Jurado or keep him on the left to manage Farfan and Uchida with Evra.

Schlake hammered Inter in the middle with 4 against Inter's 5. Papadopoulos will man mark Rooney as he did with Sneijder.

I think Fergie will definitely be going for the win here.

1-2 United.

Think he be happy with an away goal and a major chance in the 2nd leg , yes the win would be fantastic but Fergie is too experienced to throw everything at it in the first leg if you know what I mean. He likes the cautions approach away from home in Europe .

Le King

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Why no Metzelder? He's a key player for them.

I was going by the predicted line-ups. I presumed he was injured/suspended. :rolleyes:

ziggyman17

2-1 to utd.. The Germans will attack, which will suit utd for the counter attack..

flahavaj

Jurado is one to watch as well over these two legs. Has looked a cdecent player anytime I've seen him play, I can see people calling for us to sign him by the time these two legs are over, given our obsession with every semi decent midfielder across the continent.

Blatter

Le King wrote: »

I was going by the predicted line-ups. I presumed he was injured/suspended. :rolleyes:

Well obviously any line up is going to be predicted as they haven't been announced yet.

Maybe you should clarify who's predicted line up it is, as one can only assume that it is your prediction if you post it and don't say otherwise.

Le King

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Well obviously any line up is going to be predicted as they haven't been announced yet.

Maybe you should clarify who's predicted line up it is, as one can only assume that it is your prediction if you post it and don't say otherwise.

OP's except I excluded Metzleder for some reason. Not that hard of a mistake to make. But you go ahead and be extremely petty and make an issue over that. Good man.

Blatter

Le King wrote: »

OP's except I excluded Metzleder for some reason. Not that hard of a mistake to make. But you go ahead and be extremely petty and make an issue over that. Good man.

I asked you why Metzelder wasn't in your team. It was a valid question. You left him out accidently, that's fine. No problem.

You're the one who posted back a response with a rolley eyes at the end of it. If anyone was being petty, it was you.

MagicMarker

Anything less than a score draw will be disappointing.

L'prof

lordgoat wrote: »

Just out of morbid curiosity? What's making you think this?

I couldn't back Shalke myself as I'd expect United to progress, but do think they have the ability to make it very tough for United.

NeVeR

Why no Nani ? injured ? Suspended ?

Le King

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

I asked you why Metzelder wasn't in your team. It was a valid question. You left him out accidently, that's fine. No problem.

You're the one who posted back a response with a rolley eyes at the end of it. If anyone was being petty, it was you.

Out of context. Your ehhs and attitude in the superthread were annoying that's why.

Anyway, completely off topic so I'm not going to carry this on.

Boskowski

Surely United will have to be big time favourites over the two legs what with Uniteds experience, strong backline and two in-form forwards. But Schalke will be playing their butts off and are carried by quite some euphoria and will give United a better run than Chelsea I believe. And theyre not bad either
Wouldn't rule out a surprise but it would have to be that, a surprise.

jive

Tight affair to be expected here. I can't imagine Schalke will attack all that much. It will be cagey imo with Schalke using pacey players such as Farfan to counter. They'll probably play Raul up top on his own and an attacking midfielder in behind. 1-0 to either side wouldn't surprise me. It will be hard for Schalke to keep United out but they are an organised side and 1-0 with Raul getting another european goal wouldn't be a complete shock!! Should be a somewhat boring yet enthralling game

Blatter

Le King wrote: »

Out of context. Your ehhs and attitude in the superthread were annoying that's why.

Anyway, completely off topic so I'm not going to carry this on.

Ridiculous.

Anyone who reads that debate in the superthread will recognise that once again, you were the one with the attitude with your ''short memory so'' and ''WTF''.

Anyway, I have no more time for petty arguments such as this so I won't say anymore on it.

NeVeR wrote: »

Why no Nani ? injured ? Suspended ?

No, he's fully fit. He was left out for the Chelsea game at SB for Valencia and Park and has had two below performances against Newcastle and Everton. That is the reasoning behind people's suggestions that he will be left out tomorrow night.

But in all honesty it would not surprise me greatly to see him start as saf always seems to pull a surprise or two that is not expected.

kryogen

2 nil win to United

Easy

overconfident? maybe, but I did see it in a dream last night!

keane2097

Is Raul missing for some reason?

kryogen

Dont think so, pretty sure he is available to play, assume he will start from the bench though, dunno if he has the legs to trouble us from the start but he is always dangerous in and around the box

Nemanja91

Metzelder will struggle against Hernandez's movement if they both play I think.

hatz7

While I expect Utd to go through the tie, I know its a clique, but you can't write off ze Germans! also the results against Broussia Dortmund & Bayer Leverkusen a number of years ago were ones that not many expected.

L'prof

hatz7 wrote: »

While I expect Utd to go through the tie, I know its a clique, but you can't write off ze Germans! also the results against Broussia Dortmund & Bayer Leverkusen a number of years ago were ones that not many expected.

Oh do you now?

An Citeog

hatz7 wrote: »

While I expect Utd to go through the tie, I know its a clique, but you can't write off ze Germans! also the results against Broussia Dortmund & Bayer Leverkusen a number of years ago were ones that not many expected.

That Leverkusen side had some quality players with Ballack, Schneider, Basturk, Ze Roberto and Lucio.

flahavaj

An Citeog wrote: »

That Leverkusen side had some quality players with Ballack, Schneider, Basturk, Ze Roberto and Lucio.

How many people knew that much about them before their big season in 2001 though? We might very well be saying the same about the Schalke lads in a couple of years time. It'll be a very tough tie, even if they don't have start players. In fact sometimes its the teams without the big names that do well that you should fear the most.

Sean Bateman

NeVeR wrote: »

Why no Nani ? injured ? Suspended ?

We're away from home, so Valencia and Park are a better bet 'cause they're more likely to track back and help Evra and Rafael/O'Shea.

Not having Berbatov as an option is a pity...when you're away from home it good to have a guy who can hold up the ball.

It's not a sure thing that Hernandez will start - I can see Rooney on his own with a five man midfield of Valencia, Park, Carrick, Giggs and Anderson.

Sean Bateman

Schalke lost 1-0 at home to Kaiserslautern on Saturday. Kaiserslautern are currently 12th in the Bundesliga.

They're in 10th spot in the Bundesliga and they're 29 points adrift of the leaders.

They've already lost 13 league games this season.

Any Champions League semi-finalist deserves respect, but if United do their stuff, they'll win this tie comfortably. The only similarity Schalke have with Dortmund is that they're both German teams.

United to win 4-1 on aggregate and then beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final.

Headshot

league form means **** all

Just ask Liverpool

flahavaj

Sean Bateman wrote: »

Schalke lost 1-0 at home to Kaiserslautern on Saturday. Kaiserslautern are currently 12th in the Bundesliga.

They're in 10th spot in the Bundesliga and they're 29 points adrift of the leaders.

They've already lost 13 league games this season.

Any Champions League semi-finalist deserves respect, but if United do their stuff, they'll win this tie comfortably. The only similarity Schalke have with Dortmund is that they're both German teams.

United to win 4-1 on aggregate and then beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final.

They rested half their team. It actually worries me that they have the luxury of doing so, whereas we have to have an eye on playing the 2nd and 3rd placed teams in quick succession after facing the Germans.

Sometimes being nowehere in teh leageu can be ablessing in disguise ahead of these games, I remember Liverpool playing teams full of kids in the weekends between games the year they won it. Its so much harder to challenge on several fronts as United invariably do.

Sean Bateman

Headshot wrote: »

league form means **** all

Just ask Liverpool

A specific does not prove a generality.

Would you prefer us to be playing the runaway leaders of the Bundesliga or the team in 12th place who've already lost 13 games this season?

If we do our stuff, we'll win...simple as that.

Headshot

Sean Bateman wrote: »

A specific does not prove a generality.

Would you prefer us to be playing the runaway leaders of the Bundesliga or the team in 12th place who've already lost 13 games this season?

If we do our stuff, we'll win...simple as that.

id prefer to be against a team that cant rest all their best players and seem to buzzing in the CL

Im sure we'll win but its unfair on Schalke because they had a terrible start to the season and that's why they found themselves in there position

jive

Headshot wrote: »

id prefer to be against a team that cant rest all their best players and seem to buzzing in the CL

Im sure we'll win but its unfair on Schalke because they had a terrible start to the season and that's why they found themselves in there position

I agree with you, league form means nothing. They beat bayern in the cup and are in the semi-final of the CL. If united look at them as a team struggling in the league they will be beaten. German teams are never easy in Europe and league form goes out the window for cup games. If anything doing well in the league would serve to hinder them because they can go easy in the league knowing that they won't be finishing anywhere. I don't think Schalke are as easy to beat as some people in this thread do. Should be a good 2 legs.

Blatter

To those who are worried that Schalke have rested players and that will be an advantage to them.

Newsflash; We rested Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Giggs and Park on Saturday.

Both sides rested players over the weekend, it's not right to use the fact in Schalke's favour for this game and not mention the fact we did the exact same thing.

What would worry me is that we may well have to play our big guns against Arsenal on Sunday, whereas Schalke will rest key players again.

But that's a worry for the second leg, not tomorrow night.

Saying that, tomorrow night will not be easy. But if we play to our strengths and stay focused, we should get a favourable result.

flahavaj

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

To those who are worried that Schalke have rested players and that will be an advantage to them.

Newsflash; We rested Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Giggs and Park on Saturday.

Both sides rested players over the weekend, it's not right to use the fact in Schalke's favour for this game and not mention the fact we did the exact same thing.

What would worry me is that we may well have to play our big guns against Arsenal on Sunday, whereas Schalke will rest key players again.

But that's a worry for the second leg, not tomorrow night.

Saying that, tomorrow night will not be easy. But if we play to our strengths and stay focused, we should get a favourable result.

Its the fact that we'll have one eye on the Arsenal and Chelsea games that worries me, whereas Schalke's one and only focus is the CL. Its not going to make or break the tie, but it is something that coiuld act asa bit of a leveller over the two legs.

Blatter

Headshot wrote: »

league form means **** all

Just ask Liverpool

This is something I can never understand people saying.

If we were playing Porto in the semi final tomorrow, people would be using their frighteningly good league form as a reason they will be difficult to beat - and rightly so.

But when someone comes along and uses a team's poor league position as a way of illustrating that they are not that good, the Liverpool card is played and they are accused of lacking respect.

It works both ways, league form is one of the ways, amongst others, to judge how much of a threat the opposition is.

We all know what the story is. We know Schalke will pose a threat. They won't be easy, they could beat us in Germany and make things difficult for us at OT. It's a possibility.

But you cannot blame fans for having extra confidence about progression to the final when they look at Schalke's league position. It's a valid and relevant point to examine.

nullzero

Based on form United should win easily.
Knockout football can bite you in the hole however and United have a lot more to lose than Schalke do right now.

I think Schalke will, or should play without any fear and if they do so they could do damage to United.

Of course United have what it takes to get the job done, but our record against German sides at this stage in the competition makes me wary, not to mention what will probably be Raul's last hurrah for Schalke.

It's finely balanced alright, nails will be well bitten by the end.

Blatter

flahavaj wrote: »

Its the fact that we'll have one eye on the Arsenal and Chelsea games that worries me, whereas Schalke's one and only focus is the CL. Its not going to make or break the tie, but it is something that coiuld act asa bit of a leveller over the two legs.

I understand where you are coming from, but do you think that Arsenal will be on the player's or saf's mind during the 90 mins on Tuesday?

I would hope they can be professional enough to concentrate 100% on a game that is the semi final of the Champions league.

flahavaj

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

I understand where you are coming from, but do you think that Arsenal will be on the player's or saf's mind during the 90 mins on Tuesday?

I would hope they can be professional enough to concentrate 100% on a game that is the semi final of the Champions league.

No but it affects team selection.They will pick a team with the Arsenal game in mind as well IMO, likewise Chelsea the week after. If they lose vs Arsenal, and Chelsea beat Spurs, then the Chelsea game becomes even bigger than the CL ties.

Its not a question of professionalism, its a question of trying to juggle your resources to play four massive games in the space of 14 days. If we had the luxury of a meaningless game like Schalke have on the weekends after the two CL games things would be far easier and straightforward. Things like which of the games we need Rio most will have to be factored in as I doubt he will be able to play all four in such a short period, which of our wingers to play vs Arsenal and which to play vs Schalke etc etc.

Sean Bateman

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

This is something I can never understand people saying.

If we were playing Porto in the semi final tomorrow, people would be using their frighteningly good league form as a reason they will be difficult to beat - and rightly so.

But when someone comes along and uses a team's poor league position as a way of illustrating that they are not that good, the Liverpool card is played and they are accused of lacking respect.

It works both ways, league form is one of the ways, amongst others, to judge how much of a threat the opposition is.

We all know what the story is. We know Schalke will pose a threat. They won't be easy, they could beat us in Germany and make things difficult for us at OT. It's a possibility.

But you cannot blame fans for having extra confidence about progression to the final when they look at Schalke's league position. It's a valid and relevant point to examine.

+1

"League form means nothing" is a ridiculous statement.

Of course it means something.

Of course knockout football can throw up surprise results, but on balance United should win. They should win 7/10 times vs Schalke.

Blatter

flahavaj wrote: »

They will pick a team with the Arsenal game in mind as well IMO, likewise Chelsea the week after. If they lose vs Arsenal, and Chelsea beat Spurs, then the Chelsea game becomes even bigger than the CL ties.

Its not a question of professionalism, its a question of trying to juggle your resources to play four massive games in the space of 14 days. If we had the luxury of a meaningless game like Schalke have on the weekends after the two CL games things would be far easier and straightforward.

I don't think he will pick a team with the Arsenal game in mind. I'm sure he will pick the best team that he thinks will get the best result in Germany.

I don't think the Arsenal game will be of any priority in comparison to the CL, given our cushion at the top. We all know how desperate saf is to win the CL again, it's a burning ambition of his to get at least one more and this maybe his best chance of doing that.

flahavaj

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

I don't think he will pick a team with the Arsenal game in mind. I'm sure he will pick the best team that he thinks will get the best result in Germany.

I don't think the Arsenal game will be of any priority in comparison to the CL, given our cushion at the top. We all know how desperate saf is to win the CL again, it's a burning ambition of his to get at least one more and this maybe his best chance of doing that.

He will plan the 4 games en bloc, just like he did with the league games around the Chelsea matches. We also know Fergie is desperate to knock Liverpool aff their perch. The reality is he wants both, like he always does. The Arsenal game will be very much in his mins when he picks the team for Schalke, he always plans 2-3 steps ahead, he is a genius at juggling his resources.