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Schalke
04 are in need of a minor miracle if they are to have any hope of
advancing past Manchester United to the Champions League final after
slumping to a 2-0 home defeat without as much as a fight.

It is not so much
Tuesday’s 2-0 first leg loss that leaves them facing a mountain to
climb in Manchester’s “theatre of dreams” but the lack of belief they
can turn the tie around against a team that could have easily won by
five goals.

The fact that
Schalke had not lost any of their last nine Champions League matches
before Tuesday and won all of their five previous home games in the
competition makes their work in Manchester even more difficult.

“Our starting
position now certainly points to Manchester having the advantage but in
football you never know,” Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick said.

The German coach,
who took over five weeks ago from Felix Magath, said this short time
had not been enough to bind his players into a unit capable of
seriously challenging the three-time European champions.

“Manchester were on
a different level than Inter Milan (in the quarterfinals). We reached
our limits. We will certainly need a wonder to progress,” he said.

No real chance

Schalke, 10th in
the Bundesliga with no real chance of playing in the Champions League
next season, take on Bayern Munich on the weekend hoping a win could
restore some of their lost confidence after United ripped their defence
to shreds for over an hour in a one-sided game.

“We will not give
up in the second leg but the result is pretty clear,” said goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer, who prevented an embarrassingly high-score defeat with
half a dozen superb saves.

His performance was
the solitary Schalke highlight, prompting United coach Sir Alex
Ferguson to label it the best by any goalkeeper against United in his
years in charge.

To have any chance
in the return leg, Schalke need more than just an in-form Neuer. They
must beat United at home, with Manchester having yet to lose this
season in the entire competition, let alone at home.

“Why should we capitulate?” Rangnick asked.

“We need to make things differently and in football many things have
happened. We have shown we can score away from home and we will try to
get our chances in Manchester.”