Barcelona: Barcelona placated their discontented fans and set up a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final against Manchester United with a nervy 1-0 win over Schalke 04 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

Barcelona, 1-0 up from the first leg of the quarter final in Gelsenkirchen, were put under severe pressure in the opening half hour but the Schalke storm blew itself out just before halftime and the Catalans were gifted a goal after a series of mishaps in the German defence.

Midfielder Yaya Toure scuffed the ball in from close range in the 43rd minute after a Bojan Krkic cross from the right had ballooned off the foot of a defender and was then headed off the line.

Barcelona, the only non-English side in the last four, will host United at the Nou Camp in the first leg of the semi-final on April 23 and visit the Premier League leaders at Old Trafford the following week.

Liverpool face Chelsea for the third time in four seasons in the other semi-final.

The match took place in an atmosphere of high tension following fans’ protests over Barcelona’s recent run of poor results and remarks by a high-ranking club official that Barcelona had used injuries to hide the fact that a number of players had been sidelined for indiscipline.

It looked as though Barcelona would be in for a difficult night when Schalke picked up where they had finished off in the first leg and put the home side under heavy pressure as they surged through the home side’s ragged midfield.

Victor Valdes was almost caught out by a long-range effort from Halil Altintop but the Barcelona keeper managed to beat the striker’s bobbling shot at the second attempt.