WRAPUP 2-Soccer-United and Barca move towards semi-final clash

By Zoran Milosavljevic

BELGRADE, April 1 (Reuters) - Manchester United beat Roma 2-0 away and Barcelona won 1-0 at Schalke in their Champions League quarter-final, first-leg matches on Tuesday to take big steps towards a semi-final showdown.

Goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney either side of halftime gave United victory at the Stadio Olimpico as the English champions continued to torment Roma.

Alex Ferguson's side have beaten their Italian rivals in three of their last four matches and appear set to send them packing from Europe's premier club competition again after an 8-3 aggregate drubbing at the same stage last season.

United won the second leg of that contest 7-1 and only an unlikely slip-up in the second leg at Old Trafford will prevent them from reaching their second successive semi-final.

If they do meet Barcelona it would renew an old rivalry for United who beat the Catalan side 2-1 in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup final and fought out two enthralling 3-3 draws in the group stage of their 1999 Champions League triumph.

Ronaldo headed United into a 39th minute-lead at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday with his 36th goal of the season in all competitions and Rooney sealed the win midway through the second half when he scrambled home a loose ball from close range.

United weathered an early second half onslaught but could have won by a bigger margin after Ronaldo shaved the post and Michael Carrick came close with a curling low drive.

Ferguson, though, said the victory was far from comfortable.