FC Schalke 04

[Oliver_Kahn]

The secret behind the success of Schalke's pre-season open-day - the chance to see the players close up plus loads of entertaining activities for all ages - is as simple as it is brilliant. This year it takes place at the VELTINS Arena on Sunday (22 July) from 11 am to 6 pm.

As attendances of well over 100,000 in previous years go to show, the event is a must for Schalke fans. Admission is free, as always.

Be they crowd favourites such as Gerald Asamoah and Manuel Neuer or new signings such as Ivan Rakitic and Jermaine Jones, the entire squad will be kept exceedingly busy giving autographs, answering questions on stage, demonstrating their shooting skills and challenging fans to see who has the hardest shot.

A special treat for children will take place on the VELTINS Arena pitch when goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Mathias Schober face 15 kids in the Victoria penalty shootout challenge. Kevin Kuranyi will have to demonstrate very different qualities, though. Along with Christian Pander, the Germany striker will be doing a few laps on the Gazprom go-kart track.

Schalke's pre-season open-day is, of course, a great day out for all the family. A host of attractions and activities have been set up on the Arena perimeter road and the rest of the club complex. The programme is completed by giant stages on the east side of the stadium (Victoria) and the west side (Gazprom), where new signings Ivan Rakitic, Heiko Westermann, Jermaine Jones and Mathias Schober, among others, will give interviews.

Other attractions include a 50 metre high viewing platform, a bouncy castle, kids face painting, the 'Goalkeeper', where supporters can follow in the footsteps of Manuel Neuer, and various beer gardens. A highlight towards the end of the day is the show training session in the VELTINS Arena, which begins around 4.30 pm.

[Oliver_Kahn]

35min

Goal!

Great pass by Ernst to Lovenkrands, KSC keeper Miller got it first and tried to clear it, but Halil Altintop got the rebound and scored with open net.

1-0 to Schalke!

[Oliver_Kahn]

Game over, Schalke advance to the semi-final against Nurnberg.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Bundesliga runners-up Schalke 04 will meet 1. FC Nürnberg in the first semi-final of the PREMIERE League Cup after a narrow victory over KSC.


Schalke won the preliminary round thanks to heroics from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Halil Altintop.

Altintop winner

Altintop's goal after 35 minutes was enough to beat 2. Bundesliga champions Karlsruher SC 1-0 in Düsseldorf.

Schalke now face a trip to DFB Cup winners Nuremberg on Tuesday night, Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart will play the winner of the second preliminary round-match between Werder Bremen and FC Bayern München on Wednesday.

Neuer saves penalty

Schalke had been lucky not to be behind after just five minutes when Neuer saved Tamas Hajnal's penalty. Marcel Bordon had brought down KSC striker Edmond Kapllani in an aerial challenge.

Schalke took after a quarter of an hour. Bordon (13) and Mladen Krstajic (30) were both denied by Karlsruhe keeper Markus Miller. But Miller was helpless when Peter Lövenkrands was clean through following Mario Eggimann's mis-timed back-pass five minutes later. He could only parry the Dane's shot and Altintop followed up to score.

Three good chances

KSC fought back almost immediately, but Hajnal was again denied by Neuer, Eggimann's shot went just past the post and Krstajic blocked a shot from KSC new boy Alexander Iashvili (44).

Altintop (51) had a chance to settle the game early on in the second half, but afterwards the match was dominated by inaccuracy as Schalke ran out 1-0 winners.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Schalke 04 had the better off Karlsruher SC in the first match of the PREMIERE League Cup 2007. bundesliga have the best images from the match.


Schalke will play DFB Cup winners 1. FC Nürnberg in the semis thanks to Halil Altintop's goal after 35 minutes.

Bundesliga.de presents the best pictures in a diashow.

[Oliver_Kahn]

As in the previous year Düsseldorf proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Royal Blues, as Mirko Slomka's men beat Karlsruhe by the only goal in front of a sell-out crowd at the LTU Arena. The win saw Schalke through to the League Cup semi-final, where they will face DFB Cup winners Nürnberg on Tuesday (24 July).

Slomka made just one change to the side that drew with Dynamo Dresden on Wednesday, Manuel Neuer returning between the posts in place of Mathias Schober. And the Schalke keeper was in the thick of the action after just six minutes. When Marcelo Bordon pushed Karlsruhe striker Edmond Kapllani in the box, Tamas Hajnal stepped up to take the penalty. But Neuer pulled off a brilliant save to his left to deny the former Schalke player.

It was a shaky start by the Royal Blues, who seemed to lack concentration in the opening quarter of an hour. Karlsruhe, second division champions last season, exploited the imprecision in Schalke's play and launched a number of clever counterattacks, but were unable to pose a serious threat. It eventually took a 13th minute header from Bordon to shake the Bundesliga runners-up from their lethargy.

The Royal Blues took control of the proceedings thereafter, building on a solid defence to create further openings for Bordon (15'), Mladen Krstajic (30') and Christian Pander (34'). It seemed only a matter of time before they took the lead and in the 35th minute they did just that, Halil Altintop netting from 14 metres. But the goal seemed to relax Slomka's men a little, and Karlsruhe fashioned two more chances. Both Neuer (43') and Krstajic (44') were forced to intervene with all the alarm bells ringing.

Schalke regained control after the interval, but apart from an Altintop effort from the edge of the box neither side was able to create any dangerous openings. Karlsruhe were content to sit back in their own half and wait for a chance to break, and the Royal Blues rarely threatened despite knocking the ball around quite nicely. Neuer was called into action just once when he gathered a 20 metre shot from Sebastian Freis.

All in all it was a deserved win for the Royal Blues, who lacked concentration only in brief phases at the beginning and the end of the first half.

FC Schalke 04: Neuer - Boenisch, Bordon, Krstajic, Pander - Ernst, Kobiashvili - Rakitic (Azaouagh 64') - Asamoah (Bajramovic 77'), Altintop (Jones 85'), Lovenkrands
Karlsruhe SC: Miller - Görlitz, Eggimann, Franz, Eichner - Aduobe (Staffeldt 70'), Mutzel (Freis 79') - Hajnal - Iashvili (Timm 61'), Kapllani, Carnell
Goal: 1-0 Altintop (35')
Referee: Marc Seemann (Essen)
Yellow cards: Rakitic - Hajnal

[Oliver_Kahn]

Good match in prospect, Schalke weren't at thgeir best against Karlsruhe and Nürnberg will be fired for their first ligapokal match.

Should be a good one

[Oliver_Kahn]

Defensive trio sign on at Schalke

FC Schalke 04 have rewarded central defenders Marcelo Bordon and Mladen Krstajić, along with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, after last season's fine performances.

'Important step'
Bordon and Krstajić's partnership, about to enter its fourth campaign, played a major role as Schalke secured the runners-up spot in the Bundesliga and 2007/08 UEFA Champions League entry. Schalke's 32 goals conceded in 34 league matches was not bettered in the German top flight. Schalke sporting director Andreas Müller said: "This was a very important step in our planning. We want to see these key men, who have proved themselves on and off the pitch, for as long as possible."

Neuer needed
Bordon, a 31-year-old Brazilian, has extended his deal by two years until 2011 while 33-year-old Serbian international Krstajić will remain at the Arena AufSchalke until 2009. Also staying is 21-year-old Neuer, after the Germany Under-21 goalkeeper signed a five-year deal. He enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last term, playing 27 league games after dislodging the now departed Frank Rost. Schalke have been busy of late, also signing defender Heiko Westermann, midfielder Ivan Rakitić and forward Jermaine Jones.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Champions League*-*News & Features*-*News specific

[Oliver_Kahn]

Germany looks at Nuremberg! 1. FC Nürnberg entertain Bundesliga runners-up FC Schalke 04 with a place in the League Cup final at stake.


After triumph in the DFB Cup back in May, 1. FC Nürnberg plan their next coup: the nine-times German champions want to snatch the PREMIERE League Cup at their first participation.

Charisteas optimistic

"We have a good chance of winning the League Cup", striker Angelos Charisteas says ahead of the semi-final on Tuesday, 20:30 CET.

Head coach Hans Meyer too underlines Nuremberg's ambitions. "This is a late present for our cup win. We want to reach the final in Leipzig."

And Meyer already knows who he would like to play there: "A match against Bayern is always something very special for our fans", the coach said.

"We surely have to improve"

For Schalke too the PREMIERE League is of "outstanding importance", as head Mirko Slomka stresses.

Slomka, who has striker Kevin Kuranyi back from suspension, expects another step forward after the 1-0 win over promoted Karlsruhe. "After the win over KSC, which wasn't entirely satisfactory, we surely have to improve if we want to achieve our goal of reaching the final."

Meyer tries to dampen the euphoria

For the "Club" the match against Schalke at the easyCredit-Stadion is a "fine challenge to see where we stand", according to Meyer.

Meyer tries to dampen the euphoria surrounding his team following the DFB Cup win. "Many will measure us with the outstanding success of last season in view. But we have to be realistic: sixth place and the DFB Cup win mustn't set the benchmark."

Klewer in goal

The FCN head coach isn't able to field his preferred formation against Schalke. Javier Pinola (knee OP), Jaouhar Mnari (knee problems) and Peer Kluge (ankle injury) are ruled out.

In goal Daniel Klewer will be given the nod ahead of Jaromir Blazek, who is expected to be Nuremberg's first choice keeper this season.

Slomka will be without (thigh strain), Dario Rodriguez (still on holiday), Gustavo Varela (rehab) as well as Mesut Özil, Ralf Fährmann and Benedikt Höwedes (all Under-19s European Championships) verzichten.

Line-ups as expected:

1. FC Nürnberg: Klewer - Reinhardt, Wolf, Glauber, Jacobsen - Galasek - Engelhardt, Misimovic - Vittek, Charisteas, Saenko

FC Schalke 04: Neuer - Boenisch, Bordon, Krstajic, Pander - Ernst, Kobiaschwili - Rakitic - Altintop (Asamoah), Kuranyi, Lövenkrands

Referee: Jochen Drees (Münster-Sarmsheim)

[Oliver_Kahn]

Game underway!

[Oliver_Kahn]

Charisteas starting for Nurnberg

[Oliver_Kahn]

20min

Vitek scores the first goal. Nice assist by Charisteas

1-0 to Nurnberg

[Oliver_Kahn]

37min

Schalke scores the equaliser!

Kuranyi with a great through ball to Kobiachwilli, the Geogian midfielder was quicker than the Nurnberg defence, kept his cool and scored against Klewer.

1-1

[Oliver_Kahn]

43min

Schalke take the lead!

Great pass from Kuranyi to Ernst, he chested it down and scored with a great finish.

2-1 to Schalke