United vs Schalke Champions League Second Leg Preview

Introduction

Manchester United will look to put the disappointment of Sunday's defeat against Arsenal behind them as they face Schalke 04 in the second leg of the Champions League Semi Finals on Wednesday. While all domestic eyes will be focussed on Sunday's massive league fixture against Chelsea, the Reds still have a job to complete despite being comfortably placed following the away leg. Usually, two unanswered goals would be seen as a triumph by the away side but there is a niggling feeling that United could have finished the tie bearing in mind the number of decent chances they created. An early goal from the Germans would increase the tension especially as the manager is likely to field a much changed line up.

United will be wary of their opponents who managed to score five in the San Siro in the previous round so they are unlikely to be overawed by the atmosphere or the occasion. Schalke are unlikely to be as tactically naive as they were last week again and will look to frustrate the Reds while imposing the likes of Raul, Farfan and Jurado on proceedings which they seemed so incapable of in the first leg.

The Opposition

Schalke faced Bayern Munich on Saturday and suffered a 4-1 loss at the Allianz Arena. Highlights of the game can be seen below and show more Neuer heroics and plenty of shambolic defending.

Schalke remain tenth in the Bundesliga. Their away record shows just four wins from 16 matches with eight defeats. In these games they have scored just thirteen which makes their exploits at the San Siro even more remarkable. However, their previous away matches in Europe this season show a win against Benfica and a draw against Valencia so it looks like they are capable of raising their game against bigger teams.

Further discussion on Schalke and their chances can be found via CanTheyScore.com who interviewed the German football editor from Goal.com.

United

For the first time since I started my blog in January, I correctly predicted the United side that started against Arsenal. I can safely say that this will not be the case tomorrow! The manager is likely to make plenty of changes considering the state of the tie and the challenges ahead. This is sure to lead to a disjointed display from the team and could lead to a nervy night.

I can see the likes of Van Der Sar, Evra and Ferdinand all being given the night off from the regular back five. Both Rafael and O'Shea are fit after recent injuries and need a game. Fabio has picked up a minor knock and will probably be given a break to recuperate.

The manager has confirmed that Darren Fletcher will be given some part of the game tomorrow and I would therefore expect him to start and play for an hour at the most. In my opinion he has been missed massively over recent weeks. The game at the Emirates would have been perfect for him alongside Carrick as we do not possess anyone else with the battling qualities he possesses. Paul Scholes returns to the side for the first time since Wembley in what many predict will be the last few games of his career. Unfortunately the little maestro has increasingly become something of a liability when it comes to tackling and it would be a shame to see him bow out after further disciplinary problems. Although I think he could carry on for another season, going out at the top seems to be more his style and this summer would be the perfect time. Darron Gibson is my final pick in a three man midfield.

With Wayne Rooney nursing a slight hamstring twinge and Hernández in need of a break, Berbatov is likely to start on his own up front. Although the boss has mentioned Owen as a possible starter, I can see him looking at the state of the tie and deciding to play it a touch cautious. With Park in need of a rest and Giggs needed for Chelsea, I have gone for Nani and Valencia on the wings. The Portuguese wide man has suffered a noticeable drop in form that seems to have coincided with Valencia's return to the right and possibly the assault on his leg by Jamie Carragher. Although the Ecuadorian has settled back into the team almost seamlessly, I have noticed that his quality of crosses have not been up to last year's standard and one hopes this attribute returns next year.


Scoreline Prediction
As mentioned before, given a weaker team and so many changes, it is likely to be a very tight and cagey affair tomorrow night. I cannot see many goals from either side so will therefore go for a narrow 1-0 home win with a goal from Berbatov. For Schalke it will mean they regain a bit of respect and for United it means they can look forward to a Champions League Final appearance at Wembley.

The focus will swiftly move to Sunday with the league title on the line when Chelsea visit. Anything other than a loss will suit United fine so I would expect a defensive line up from the boss with maybe just Rooney up front. Chelsea will surely play a three in midfield and with Fletcher returning I can see him starting in an attempt to combat this away team strength.

There will be no better warm up for the Reds than by wrapping up the place in the final at Wembley without too much fuss tomorrow night. It is a pivotal week for United and one that will see their fate surely sealed with the season rapidly drawing to a close.

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