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. -- NASCARs season-ending party is heading to Las Vegas. Victor Cruz JerseyMILAN, Italy -- Schalke swept to a stunning 5-2 victory over defending champion Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at San Siro on Tuesday. Marques Colston Jersey . Dejan Stankovic gave Inter the lead after 29 seconds with an astonishing volley from around the halfway line, but Schalke levelled through Joel Matip. Diego Milito scored his first Champions League goal of the season to put Inter back in front, but Edu scored the first of his brace to bring Schalke level before halftime. Inter nearly retook the lead soon after the break, but two goals in quick succession from Raul Gonzalez and an own goal from Andrea Ranocchia put the German side in total control. Inter defender Cristian Chivu was sent off in the 62nd and with the home sides defence stretched to its limit, Edu added his second goal in the 75th minute to give Schalke one foot firmly in the semifinals. "It was a great night for us as not everyone scores five goals against the defending champion," Raul said. "After a difficult start my team showed its superiority." The result was all the more remarkable given that Schalke was without key players Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Christoph Metzelder, Mario Gavranovic and Peer Kluge. Meanwhile the defensive problems that Inter has displayed since losing Walter Samuel to injury earlier in the season were eagerly seized upon by Schalkes attack. Inter has now conceded eight goals in just two games, while Chivus sending off was his second in two matches. "We started well, but then it all went wrong in the second half," Inter captain Javier Zanetti said. "Now we have to think about the championship and get back our energy and get our heads straight. We have to go forward with our heads held high because you never know." The game was less than half a minute old when Inter took the lead with a candidate for the competitions goal of the season. Esteban Cambiasso played a ball over the Schalke defence toward Milito. Manuel Neuer raced out of his area and headed the ball clear, but it fell to Stankovic near the halfway line and the Serbian showed tremendous technique to volley the ball over the stricken goalkeeper and into the net for his second Champions League goal of the season. Schalke hit straight back though and Raul twice went close with headers. The equalizer came in the 17th minute when Jefferson Farfan picked out the unmarked Kyriakos Papadopoulos with a corner. Julio Cesar made a desperate low block to stop his header but Matip reacted first to sweep home the loose ball from close range. Both teams continued to press and Milito had penalty appeals waved away after he went down in the box, Cesar stopped Jose Manuel Jurados effort with his feet and Samuel Etoo had a goal chalked off for offside. Inter grabbed its second in the 34th when Wesley Sneijder crossed to the unmarked Cambiasso, who headed the ball across the face of goal for his fellow Argentine Milito to volley in from close range. Again Schalke hit back. Alexander Baumjohann played Edu through on goal, Cesar saved his first shot after it was deflected off Chivu, but the Brazilian reached the rebound first to scramble the ball into the net from a tight angle. Just before halftime Farfan was booked for pulling back Zanetti and the Peruvian is now suspended for the second leg. Inter had two early chances at the start of the second half, with Milito shooting wide from Sneijders pass and shortly after Neuer acrobatically stopping Etoos shot. Farfan then set up former Real Madrid striker Raul to give Schalke the lead. The three-time Champions League winners touch took him clear of Ranocchia to score his 70th Champions League goal of all time. Schalke doubled its lead in the 57th shortly afterwards. Jurado raced down the right and tried to pick out Raul with a low cross, but before the Spaniard could strike Ranocchia slid in and deflected the ball past the helpless Cesar. The night continued to get worse for Inter when Chivu was sent off for a second yellow card before Jurado came close to making it five for his side when his low shot rebounded back off the post. Farfan also hit the post after charging through a demoralized Inter defence and when the ball wasnt cleared from the rebound Edu fired in his second of the night to leave Inter needing four away goals and a clean sheet in the second leg to hang onto its trophy. Authentic Matthew Stafford Jersey . Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays have avoided arbitration with outfielder Gabe Gross, signing him to a one-year contract on Wednesday. Eli Manning Youth Jersey . With only four spots for five superstars, Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens each got the nod over the Russian great, whose accomplishments off the ice in breaking the barriers Soviet Union players faced in going to the NHL were just as significant as his artistry on the ice. Marques Colston Jersey . Hellickson made his big league debut with a win over Minnesota on August 2 and returned to the mound eight days later against Detroit. Surprisingly, the young hurler was even better in his second outing, as he tossed seven scoreless innings against Detroit and scattered just three hits while striking out seven batters. Authentic Alex Smith Jersey .m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS) call out, "Wicked bad call, ref," hell feel right at home. Rooney, from South Boston, was chosen to referee the game along with veteran Kerry Fraser. Pierre Thomas Jersey . Related readings: Workers get help in battle for back pay College graduates pay fails expectations Chinas wage growth overestimated: Experts Courts struggling to handle labor disputes90% migrant workers dissatisfied with salary in Hainan The staff, in Yugan county, East Chinas Jiangxi province, responded to a national campaign by policymakers to alleviate the chronic lack of education staff in Chinas rural areas.VIENNA - Olympic Nordic combined champion Felix Gottwald of Austria is coming out of retirement to compete on the World Cup circuit next season. The 33-year-old Gottwald, who won two gold and a silver medal at the 2006 Turin Games, quit the sport in March 2007. He said Sunday he will compete again in the upcoming season, which also includes the Olympics in Vancouver. Gottwald is Austrias most successful winter sports athlete, winning six Olympic and eight world championship medals. Tramon Williams Jersey. He also won 20 World Cup events and was the 2001 overall champion. Over the past two years, Gottwald has written his autobiography "A day in my life," and has been working as a commentator for Austrian broadcaster ORF. The Nordic combined World Cup season starts in Kuusamo, Finland, on Nov. 28.   ' ' '