Man Utd and Barca comes through their first leg of QF

AS ROMA 0 MAN UNITED 2 (Cristiano Ronaldo 39, Wayne Rooney 66)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney gave Manchester United a clinical 2-0 win at AS Roma on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Portugal forward Ronaldo soared inside the area six minutes before the break to head home a Paul Scholes cross after Rooney had skipped away from Philippe Mexes. Rooney then poked home the second goal himself in the 66th minute after a header from South Korean midfielder Ji-Sung Park sparked a goalmouth scramble. “It’s a very good performance,” Ronaldo said. “Everyone knows it’s a tough game. Roma played very well, but we created a few chances. I think we deserved this win.” Roma had nothing to show for some fluid football and have a massive task in next Wednesday’s return at Old Trafford, where they lost 7-1 at the same stage of the competition last season. The English champions made a shaky start at the Stadio Olimpico and their Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was lucky to get away with a risky early clearance. Roma defender Christian Panucci then headed just over the bar in the 12th. United tried to fashion a response but Brazilian midfielder Anderson hoofed their first effort well off target and Ronaldo drilled a long-distance freekick wide. The hosts continued to look dangerous and Montengro striker Mirko Vucinic hit a powerful strike over the bar but it was Ronaldo who gave United the lead to stun the home fans. Roma tried to respond and Vucinic squandered a superb chance to equalise with only Van der Sar to beat soon after the goal. A determined Roma, who were without injured captain Francesco Totti, made a bright start to the second half. Fullback Max Tonetto come close with a powerful effort and almost surprised Van der Sar with a cross-come-shot, while Panucci blasted over from short range. Van der Sar produced a superb reflex save from a Vucinic header in the 62nd and United looked to be struggling before Rooney claimed his fourth goal in five games against Roma. Ronaldo hit the post with a shot from outside the area and midfielder Michael Carrick nearly made it 3-0. Rooney then struck the ball wide from a good position and Ronaldo volleyed just over as the home side began to lose heart.

TEAMS:

AS Roma: 32-Doni; 77-Marco Cassetti, 5-Philippe Mexes, 2-Christian Panucci, 22-Max Tonetto (3-Cicinho 69); 11-Rodrigo Taddei (14-Ludovic Giuly 59), 16-Daniele De Rossi, 8-Alberto Aquilani (18-Mauro Esposito 76), 7 David Pizarro, 30 Mancini, 9-Mirko Vucinic.

Manchester United: 1-Edwin van der Sar; 6-Wes Brown, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 15-Nemanja Vidic (22-John O'Shea 33), 3-Patrice Evra, 16 Michael Carrick, 18-Paul Scholes, 8-Anderson (4-Owen Hargreaves 56); 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 10-Wayne Rooney (32-Carlos Tevez 84), 13-Park Ji-Sung.

SCHALKE 04 0 BARCELONA 1 (Bojan Krkic 12)

Barcelona's teenage striker Bojan Krkic gave his side the initiative in their Champions League quarter-final after the Spaniards left Germany with a 1-0 win over Schalke 04 on Tuesday night. Krkic, who will not turn 18 until the end of August, struck as early as the 12th minute with a valuable away goal to put the Spanish giants firmly in the driving seat for next Wednesday's second leg at the Nou Camp stadium. The goal came after a dream pass from Spanish international Xavi Hernandez split open Schalke's defence. Ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry seized the chance and fired at Schalke's keeper Manuel Neuer who parried the shot, but Henry snatched the re-bound and slid a pass to teenager Krkic to bury his shot in the top of the net. A curling pass from Germany defender Heiko Westermann put Danish substitute striker Soeren Larsen into a threatening position, but his header went wide with ten minutes to go. And Westermann was incensed when his appeals for a penalty were turned down moments later.

TEAMS:

Schalke 04: 1-Manuel Neuer; 18-Rafinha, 5-Marcelo Bordon, 20-Mladen Krstajic, 2-Heiko Westermann; 14-Gerald Asamoah (9-Soren Larsen 73), 3-Levan Kobiashvili, 8-Fabian Ernst, 24-Christian Pander; 22-Kevin Kuranyi (27-Vicente Sanchez 60), 19-Halil Altintop (11-Peter Lovenkrands 89).

Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 11-Gianluca Zambrotta, 5-Carles Puyol, 3-Gabriel Milito, 22-Eric Abidal; 24-Yaya Toure (4-Rafael Marquez 73), 6-Xavi, 8-Andres Iniesta; 27-Bojan Krkic (16-Silvinho 86), 9-Samuel Eto'o (17-Giovani dos Santos 82), 14-Thierry Henry.