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Schalke boss Ralf Rangnick admitted his side were outclassed after their Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester United.
United secured a 4-1 win at Old Trafford to complete a 6-1 aggregate success over the Bundesliga side, who looked a shadow of the team which had despatched holders Inter in the previous round.
Anderson struck twice for United, with Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson also on target for a second-string home side, while Jose Manuel Jurado’s reply was scant consolation.
And Rangnick conceded that United fully deserved their success and meeting with Barcelona in the final at Wembley on May 28.
“I have to congratulate Manchester United – over the two games they were the better side,” Rangnick said. “As soon as we went behind it was difficult for us.
“If you look at the comparison of their so-called second string the quality of their players stands out.
“Berbatov, Anderson performed well – they’re the sort of players that most Bundesliga teams would be happy with.
“We have to admit we could have gone out in the quarter-final against Inter – tonight we found out our level.
Looking ahead to the final, Rangnick said it was difficult to pick a winner.
“It’s difficult to predict [the final] as it’s one game, but you’ve seen the quality of Barcelona; they’ve really set the standard for European football at the moment,” he added. “But on the other hand the final is at Wembley, so there might be a slight advantage for United there. I’m excited to see how it turns out.
