Manchester United took a giant step towards the Champions League final as they outplayed Schalke in Germany.
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.
Schalke, 10th in the Bundesliga, had destroyed holders Inter Milan 7-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, but they were completely overrun from the first whistle by a United side better in every area of the pitch.
Manuel Neuer, the 25-year-old Schalke captain and Germany number one, who announced last week he would be leaving his hometown club in the summer after a 20-year association, produced a goalkeeping performance of the very highest order for more than an hour.
He was a one-man barrier who prevented United wrapping up the tie in the first 45 minutes, thwarting the visitors as they carved the Schalke defence open almost at will.
Rooney's deflected shot was wonderfully clawed away by Neuer, who then denied Park Ji-Sung low down to his right and Hernandez too - and that was all inside the opening 10 minutes.
Schalke were without key defender Benedikt Hoewedes because of injury and the gaping holes at the back suggested they badly missed him.
United were gearing themselves up for another wave of attacks and they eventually scored the goal their extraordinary dominance deserved.
Schalke's generosity meant Rooney could have driven a bus through their defence, but he settled for slipping in Giggs, the Welsh veteran keeping his cool to slot between Neuer's legs and send the travelling support into ecstasy.
In the process, at 37 years and 148 days old, Giggs became the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history, overtaking AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi when he scored against Real Madrid in November.
It got even better for the United fans two minutes later as Hernandez was given what seemed an eternity to run on to a loose ball and find Rooney in the area, his strike partner giving Neuer no chance by dispatching the ball into the bottom corner.
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.
A jubilant United, also six points clear at the top of the Premier League, will now pay close attention to the first leg of the Real Madrid vs Barcelona semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
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| Ryan Giggs |
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| Wayne Rooney |
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| Raul Gonzalez |
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| Manuel Neuer |
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