Manchester United swept Schalke 2-0 in their Champions League semifinal first leg in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Tuesday.

United could have been well ahead in the semi-final first leg by half-time, denied only by a series of incredible saves from Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.

They broke the deadlock when Wayne Rooney slipped in Ryan Giggs to slot home and Rooney doubled the advantage by firing in a Javier Hernandez pass.

With Schalke looking highly unlikely to trouble Van der Sar at the other end and the game effectively wrapped up, Ferguson was able to withdraw both Rooney and Hernandez with one eye on the weekend's crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal.

But even without the strike pair on the pitch, United could still have increased their advantage as Patrice Evra made good ground on the left hand side, only to fire wide of an upright.

The Red Devils are now unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches. A 13th and they will book their place in May's final against either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

United will welcome Schalke to Old Trafford on Wednesday 4 May for the second leg and they now know, barring a complete catastrophe, that they will once again represent English football in the showpiece of the European game.