United beat Schalke 2-0

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP):

Wayne Rooney set up one goal and scored another two minutes later to help Manchester United to a convincing 2-0 victory over Schalke, in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final yesterday.

Ryan Giggs scored in the 67th minute from Rooney's pass and Rooney himself netted in the 69th after United had wasted a dozen chances against the unheralded German side.

"We have to say without envy that we never had a grip on the game except for the first 15 minutes," Schalke defender Christoph Metzelder said. "We were clearly outplayed."

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a string of fine saves to keep his team in the match for more than an hour despite strong pressure by United, which now look set to reach the May 28 final at Wembley against either Real Madrid or Barcelona, barring an upset next week in the second leg at Old Trafford.

"I think we showed too much respect from the start," said Neuer, whose team had knocked out title holders Inter Milan in the quarter-finals. "We had trouble winning the ball and did not defend well."

United are seeking their fourth title in the competition, while Schalke are in their first semi-final. Schalke had been unbeaten at home until the semi-final, while United are yet to concede a goal away from home.

The Red Devils previously went out four times against German opposition - in the semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund (1997) and Bayer Leverkusen (2002), and twice against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals (2001 and 2010).