"Barcelona were vulnerable"
Schalke legend Olaf Thon talks to bundesliga.de about Schalke's first-leg defeat and reveals why he still hopes for a blue-white miracle.
bundesliga.de: Mister Thon, are you disappointed about Schalke's performance?
Olaf Thon: We knew that the match wouldn't be easy. But even if we lost 1-0 everyone could see that Barcelona were vulnerable. And that leaves a bit of hope for a miracle in Barcelona.
bundesliga.de: Schalke showed a lot of respect, especially in the first half.
Thon: That's right, we showed to much respect. You could see that Barcelona would have been content with a narrow defeat. The tactics were geared up to let Barcelona take the game to us, which proved wrong in hindsight. It would have been different if we had attacked from the first whistle, but hindsight is easier than foresight. A draw would have been a fair result.
bundesliga.de: The "Royal Blues" even lacked the determination in one-on-ones and willingness at the beginning. Everyone should be fired up from the first whistle when the match is labelled as the "most important in club history"...
Thon: Yes, that's right, but there are reasons. Take Kevin Kuranyi's dip in form or the suspension of Jermaine Jones, for example, and you have two explanations. If you want to get a result against a team like Barcelona everything has to be right. There are still a few things we need to work on and improve.
bundesliga.de: Do you still hope for a miracle?
Thon: Well, I've been involved in quite a few of these matches, especially during my time with FC Bayern. I remember the UEFA Cup round of 16 in the 1988/89 season. We played Inter Milan with Lothar Matthäus and lost the first leg 2-0 at home. No one gave us a chance, but we pulled off a 3-1 win in Milan and went through! The 1-0 defeat certainly isn't a good result, but it's always possible to score a goal. Barcelona are vulnerable. Even if Messi or Ronaldinho should return I don't think they'll be much stronger than in the first leg.
bundesliga.de: Schalke had several good opportunities in the second half. Is the failure to convert them the difference between Schalke and the top sides in Europe?
Thon: It's important to have these chances at all. If we hadn't we could talk about a lack of quality. But creating these chances, especially against a team like Barcelona, speaks for a certain quality and gives me hope.
bundesliga.de: How far are Schalke on their way to the top in Europe?
Thon: We're at a turning point. Either we'll continue to make or way up or we'll go back into mediocrity. That's why I hope that we finish second or third in the Bundesliga. We now have Rostock, Bremen and Cottbus. These are difficult and trend-setting matches. Everyone who has played in the quarter-final of the Champions League knows that it's a lot of fun and wants to be involved next season, too. And of course it's easier to sign new players when you can approach the negotiations as Champions League participants.
bundesliga.de: Will it be difficult to concentrate on the Bundesliga match against Hansa Rostock in between the two matches against Barcelona?
Thon: I was able to talk to a few players after yesterday's match and my impression was that they kept the defeat in perspective. You now have to put the 1-0 defeat aside, at least a bit, and concentrate on the Rostock match. A win over Hansa would give us confidence for the trip to Barcelona. It wasn't down to stamina, everyone was up to scratch. You had the feeling that the coach made the players fit precisely accurate for the day.
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