Manchester United have been ousted from the UEFA Champions League Group Stage and become the first club to do so after reaching a final the season before.
What does this collapse mean as we look towards the future of the Red Devils?
The stage is set and these 2 European Powerhouses will face off on May 28th for the right to be called European Champions. Many of us recall the last time these 2 met on this grand stage and since then many players have left and many still remain. Have United improved since their defeat last time around to Barcelona? Will Barcelona be able to match their achievement in 2009?
Manchester United & Schalke 04 completed this season's edition of the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals in what was a rather open match as Schalke was chasing a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford. Were they able to accomplish the turnover or did Manchester United finish off the tie setting up a mouth-watering match-up against FC Barcelona.
Will it be Manchester United again or a Schalke surprise?
Schalke 04 travel to Old Trafford where they will attempt to accomplish what Real Madrid failed to do yesterday, come back from a 2-0 deficit against Manchester United. Manchester United look to book a trip to Wembley where they would face the team that beat them 2 seasons ago in Rome.
The UEFA Champions League is only providing more reasons for why many believe it to be the premiere soccer tournament in the world. The club versus country argument is an old and long one and I wouldn't bring it any justice by attempting to summarize it, so I'll leave it at that or better yet allow you fine folks to discuss it via the comment section. This season we have ourselves one semi-final in which many expected and another which many didn't.