FC Schalke 04

[Trim]

DFB-Pokal 2nd round

Schalke 2 - 0 Hannover

55' [1 - 0] H. Westermann
78' [2 - 0] H. Westermann

[RunX]

Rutten Pleased With Result

A double strike from Heiko Westermann saw Schalke to a 2-0 home win over an illness and injury ravaged Hannover side- a result which pleased Königsblauen trainer Fred Rutten.


The current Bundesliga leaders needed two goals from versatile German international Heiko Westermann to down Hannover at the Veltins Arena tonight in a match that the visitors had wanted postponed due to the fact they only had 14 fit players available.

Despite that, Dieter Hecking’s side put up a spirited display which saw them give Schalke a real game.

“I am happy with the result” Rutten admitted after the match.

“We kept it tight at the back and in the second half we were clearly the better side. We have work on putting the game beyond our opponents and to raise the tempo a little more.”

Hannover counterpart Dieter Hecking only had positive words for his beleaguered team.

“I have to pay my team a huge compliment because they played a tactically disciplined game with great courage. What the lads showed tonight- you can only take your hat to” he said.

“We wanted to squeeze the space and we managed to do that. We had a good headed chance from Fahrenhorst and could have scored. If that had gone in, then the game would have gone a lot differently.”

Goal.com - Schalke - Rutten Pleased With Result

[Trim]

Bundesliga 2008/09, Matchday 6 (PREVIEW):
1 FC.Köln – Schalke

Köln held out for 74 minutes last weekend against Bielefeld before going down to a 2-0 defeat at the Schüco Arena. That was their third loss in five games so trainer Christophe Daum will want to see at least a point against high-flying Schalke.

Daum may switch back to a 4-2-3-1 formation to combat Schalke and it could well be that Brecko starts at right back with Broich going into central midfield. Striker Manesseh Ishiaku is still out injured while captain Umit Ozat is also still on the sidelines.

The Königsblauen continued their fine start to the season last weekend against Frankfurt even though they did make rather hard work of beating ten men after Chris was sent off for Eintracht in the first half. An own goal from Ochs handed Fred Rutten’s side a 1-0 win and they will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the table with a win at the Rhein-Energie Stadion against Köln.

Fabian Ernst is suspended following his red card against Dortmund, but it could be that Vicente Sanchez keeps his place on the left after an impressive display in their midweek Cup win over Hannover. Manuel Neuer is also a potential to return in goal.

[RunX]

Schalke To Streit: Forget About Leaving

Schalke general manager Andreas Muller has moved to quash talk about Albert Streit being sold to Cologne after the player himself admitted he would jump on a move.

Speaking ahead of the match against his former club on Friday, the 28-year-old midfielder admitted that he has become frustrated by his lack of first team opportunities in the Ruhr Valley and admitted that he would "love to return to Cologne" if that were an option.

"There can be no such talk of Albert being allowed to leave, even if he does not play again between now and the winter break," Muller fired back.

"Albert wants to be allowed to leave, but we won't let him. We did not sign him for a lot of money from Frankfurt in January only to sell him the next winter, and Cologne has never been an issue."

While the Königsblauen continued their fine start to the season last weekend against Frankfurt, Köln went down to their third loss in five games against Bielefeld, meaning that they will be desperate for a result on Friday.

.
Goal.com - Schalke - Schalke To Streit: Forget About Leaving

[RunX]

The wait goes on

He's fit and back in the squad, but Schalke 04 keeper Manuel Neuer will be sitting out Friday's matchday 6 opener at 1. FC Köln.

Schalke coach Fred Rutten has given 19-year-old Ralf Fährmann the nod for this one, saying, "Fährmann will play, Neuer's in the squad."

"In great shape"

Neuer has been in squad training for the past week, feels fully recovered and had been hoping to start in Cologne.

"I feel in great shape...I would have loved to have played in Dortmund", he said earlier, in reference to the Ruhr derby two weeks ago, "but it was still too soon at that point."

Fährmann, Schalke's third-choice keeper, was thrown in at the deep end for that one when number two goalie Mathias Schober tore a muscle fibre. He conceded three goals late on as Dortmund salvaged a point in a spectacular comeback, but has kept clean sheets in successive matches since.

Neuer will be on the bench, but seems likely to regain his place for Thursday's UEFA Cup encounter with APOEL Nicosia.

Streit wants to leave

While Fährmann is content to accept his imminent demotion ("I'm still young, and have plenty of time."), Albert Streit is anything but happy with reserve team duties.

Bought from Eintracht Frankfurt during the last winter break for some two million euro, Streit says he will be looking to move on if his situation does not improve over the next couple of months. Friday's opponents Köln, who the 28-year-old played for between 2004 and 2006, are thought to be interested in taking him back on loan - something Streit himself says he is amenable to. Schalke sporting director Andreas Müller says, however, "There has been no offer made for him as yet".

Crisis meeting

Köln coach Christoph Daum said he had some "hard words" for his players at a 70-minute crisis meeting following their 3-1 DFB Cup defeat at Mainz.

Daum "provoked and appealed to" the players, singling some out for individual criticism. "The boys didn't just sit there and swallow it", the coach subsequently reported, adding that despite having now lost three games in a row, "the team is alive."

Probable line-ups:

Köln: Mondragon - Brecko (McKenna), Geromel, Mohamad, Wome - Matip, Petit - Radu, Antar, Chihi - Novakovic

Schalke: Fährmann - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Pander - Westermann, Jones, Engelaar - Farfan, Kuranyi, Sanchez (Rakitic)

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

[RunX]

Resurgent Köln Beat Leaders Schalke

1.FC Köln 1-0 Schalke 04

Christophe Daum’s Köln side more than made up for their disappointing DFB Pokal exit in midweek by putting on a great performance at the Rhein-Energie Stadion to beat league leaders Schalke. A single goal from defender Youssef Mohamed proved enough to seal an important three points.

First Half

Köln kicked the game off with a superb atmosphere ringing around the Rhein-Energie Stadion. Christophe Daum lined up with Pezzoni and Ehret making their Bundesliga debuts as the trainer looked to shake things up little after their midweek Cup defeat against Mainz.

Antar quickly got a shot in on the Schalke goal within the first minute, but his effort flew well over the bar. The home fans were off their seats on seven minutes when first Womé unleashed a shot that was blocked and then Novakovic let fly from 18 meters. Fährmann in the Schalke goal wasn’t troubled by either effort.

The early Köln pressure continued on nine minutes with Novakovic again the danger man with a headed effort which saw him beat both Bordon and Krstajic in the air. Schalke for their part looked content to sit back and soak up the early pressure.

Lone Köln striker Milivoje Novakovic was causing the Schalke back line all sorts of problems and Marcelo Bordon had be alert to his danger. A free kick conceded by Farfan on the edge of the box was then wasted by Womé, who curled it well over.

Ralf Fährmann was then called upon to make a fantastic save from Novakovic with the Slovenian clean through on goal after beating the offside trap to bear down on goal.

The game continued to flow in the home side’s favour and on 22 minutes a good run and shot from Frenchman Fabrice Ehret ended with the ball curling narrowly past the top left hand corner of the Schalke goal.

Just before the half mark Novakovic was once again denied by a superb from Fährmann after benefiting from a dodgy offside decision. Clean through on goal, the Köln front man thumped a shot goal wards, but the Schalke keeper pulled off a brilliant reflex save to keep his side level. The resulting corner saw defender Antar wallop a header against the Schalke bar.

The pressure that Köln were putting their visitors under mean that the Königsblauen couldn’t get their game going in midfield and the service to the front was non-existent. A Heiko Westermann header on 32 minutes was a rare goal-bound effort from Schalke.

Midfielder Petit was the next Köln player to waste an opportunity when he tried a cheeky chip over the goalkeeper when he would have been better served playing in the overlapping Vucicevic. Keeper Fährmann plucked his weak effort away with ease.

All the pressure finally paid off on 43 minutes when defender Youssef Mohamed headed in a long throw from Womé. The ball made its way unhindered into the six yard box, where very slack defending from Schalke allowed Mohamed to score.

The first half belonged to Köln and the first 45 minutes was undoubtedly their finest performance of the season thus far.

Second Half

Schalke trainer Fred Rutten reacted at half time by bringing on Uruguayan international Vicente Sanchez for Ivan Rakitic, but it was Köln who once again got on the front foot at the start of the second 45 minutes.

Serbian midfielder Nemanja Vucicevic set off on a great forward run and put a curled effort just past the post.

Schalke though, were more up for it in the opening minutes of the second half and were showed more urgency in their forward play. A free kick on 58 minutes saw Bordon slam his effort into the defensive wall.

On 65 minutes full back Pierre Womé struck a free from a wide right position with a lot of venom, but with little placement and keeper Fährmann did well to collect the powerful shot.

As the second half progressed, Schalke were having less impact in the forward areas, while Köln continued to play superbly, pressing their visitors at all times and giving their all for the cause.

With nine minutes left, Heiko Westermann let fly with a long-range effort but Mondragon in the Köln goal was able to watch it fly harmlessly by his goal.

Then with 90 minutes all-but up, Schalke could and should have grabbed an equaliser when substitutes Asamoah and Halil Altintop combined well for Schalke’s one and only real chance of the game, but the Turkish midfielder saw his looping header come back off of the bar.

The goal, had it gone in, would have been very cruel on Köln, but as it was they clung on the grab a morale-boosting victory over Bundesliga hopefuls Schalke.

Goals:

1-0 Mohamed (43)

1.FC Köln: Mondragon, Brecko Geromel, Mohamed, Womé, Petit, Antar, Pezzoni, Ehret (Chihi 79), Vucicevic (Radu 82), Novakovic (McKenna 91)

Schalke 04: Fährmann, Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Pander, Westermann, Engelaar (Asamoah 87), Jones, Rakitic (Sanchez 46), Farfan, Kuranyi (Altintop 69)

Goal.com - Germany - Resurgent Köln Beat Leaders Schalke

[RunX]

Schalke Have Injury Concerns

On Sunday afternoon Schalke boss Fred Rutten had to run training without three players that were on the field for him on Friday.

Jermaine Jones and Marcelo Bordon both picked up light knocks during the defeat against Cologne and underwent individual exercises in the medical centre, while Heiko Westermann was not able to train at all. The national team player is suffering from the flu infection, which is why it was deemed best to spend Sunday alone.

The whole team will be off on Monday, and on Tuesday morning begins the preparation for the UEFA Cup second-leg against APOEL Nikosia, which is scheduled for 18.15 local time on Thursday.

All three of the aforementioned players are expected to be back available by then but whether they will be risked is another story. Schalke already have one foot in the UEFA Cup group stage after goals from Heiko Westermann, Ivan Rakitić, Vicente Sánchez and Halil Altıntop earned Fred Rutten's side a convincing 4-1 victory in Cyprus.

Goal.com - Schalke - Schalke Have Injury Concerns

[RunX]

Neuer ready to start

Schalke 04 and head coach Fred Rutten are fully focused at the moment on Thursday's UEFA Cup first round return against APOEL Nicosia.


The Bundesliga side are 4-1 up from the first leg in Cyprus, but Rutten is taken nothing for granted.

"We're taking the game very seriously. Crazy things can happen in football", the 45-year-old coach said, "but we took a big step in the right direction in Cyprus and we want to make the most of the situation."

Praise for Fährmann

Rutten is keeping his cards close to his chest regarding team selection, but one change is guaranteed: Manuel Neuer will make his comeback in goal against APOEL FC. "Manuel is in, that was always the plan", Rutten says.

That means a return to the bench for Ralf Fährmann. The coach had nothing but praise however for the young stand-in keeper's performances. "Ralf has done his job very well. He's taken an important step forwards, and shown what he's capable of", he said of the 19-year-old Chemnitz native.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

[RunX]

UEFA Cup Preview: Schalke - APOEL

What: UEFA Cup First Round, Second Leg
Who: Schalke vs. APOEL
When: Thursday, 2nd October, 18:15 (CET)
Where: Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen

Experimentation

Schalke comfortably managed a 4-1 away victory in the first leg, although the Ruhr side will not be content to simply sit back and defend their way past the visitors. Following his team’s 1-0 defeat away to Koeln last Friday, coach Fred Rutten will likely use tomorrow’s UEFA Cup match as an opportunity to assess his squad and tactics.

Considering that APOEL need to score four goals if they are to advance, tomorrow’s match is a perfect time for Schalke to reintroduce goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is set to make his return following a three month lay-off. The 22-year old goalkeeper broke his foot in July and has yet to appear for his team this term.

Schalke’s aggregate lead also allows Rutten to shuffle his lineup, especially considering that midfielder Jermaine Jones, centre-back Marcelo Bordon and sweeper Heiko Westermann all have questionable fitness. Jones and Bordon picked up minor knocks at the weekend, while Westermann has a case of influenza. All three are expected to be more or less fit by tomorrow, but it’s unlikely that Rutten will risk them.

Thus, Fabian Ernst will likely take Jones’ place in the starting eleven, as the former hasn’t featured in the side since their last matchup against APOEL on September 16th. The defensive midfielder was suspended for the last two Bundesliga matches and will also sit out Sunday’s match against VfL Wolfsburg.

In Bordon’s place, Benedikt Hoewedes is a possible stand-in. The German U-21 international and winner of the 2006/07 Fritz Walter medal has been a solid performer for his country’s youth sides for years and shows promise at club level.

Although the absence of Westermann leaves a void that no Schalke player can fill, it allows Rutten to use a third striker. In recent weeks, Ivan Rakitic, Vicente Sanchez, Halil Altintop and Ferald Asamoah have competed for time alongside more established strikers Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan (both pictured), and tomorrow’s match will afford Rutten plenty of room to experiment with potential striking combinations.

Against The Odds

Since falling back to 113th in FIFA’s World Rankings in March of 2005, Cyprus has dramatically rebounded and currently occupies 65th place. At the club level, the Cypriot First Division is still lowly regarded. The Cypriot champions are forced to fight their way through three qualifying rounds if they are to join the Champions League and the Cypriot Cup and league runners-up are granted places in the second round of UEFA Cup qualification. Worse, the third-placed side in the Cypriot league is given a place in the first round of UEFA Cup qualification.

And yet, with the odds against them, Cypriot side Anorthosis not only qualified for the Champions League, but fought their way to a 0-0 draw away to Werder Bremen in their first group stage match, before beating Panathinaikos on Wednesday. Even 2007-08’s Cypriot third-placed finishers AC Omonia have struggled their way to the first round of the UEFA Cup.

After qualifying ahead of Macedonian side FK Pelister and Serbian side Crvena Zvezda, APOEL drew Schalke in the first round of the UEFA Cup. While they lost the first leg 4-1 at home and are unlikely to advance tomorrow, a lot can be said for their spirit.

After conceding two goals at home against Crvena Zvezda, the Cypriots traveled to Belgrade with the odds against them. APOEL scored twice early in the second half to make the score 2-0, and after allowing three unanswered goals, leveled in the 116, granting the visitors passage to the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule. With this in mind, Schalke coach Fred Rutten has warned his team that “Crazy things happen in football,” and that, if they are careless, Schalke could bow out early.

While progression is a long shot for the visitors, a good showing tomorrow will do wonders for Cypriot football. With that in mind, APOEL will surely turn in an inspired performance as they try to leave their mark on European football.


FORM GUIDE

Schalke

9/26/08 1. FC Koeln 1 Schalke 0 (Bundesliga)

9/23/08 Schalke 2 Hannover 96 0 (DfB Cup)

9/20/08 Schalke 1 Eintracht Frankfurt 0 (Bundesliga)

9/16/08 APOEL Nicosia 1 Schalke 4 (UEFA Cup)

9/13/08 Borussia Dortmund 3 Schalke 3 (Bundesliga)

APOEL

9/28/08 AEP 2 APOEL 2 (Cypriot First Division)

9/21/08 APOEL 4 AEL 0 (Cypriot First Division)

9/16/08 APOEL 1 Schalke 4 (UEFA Cup)

9/12/08 Ethnikos Achnas 1 APOEL 1 (Cypriot First Division)

9/1/08 APOEL 3 Doxa Katokopias (Cypriot First Division)


TEAM NEWS

Schalke

At long last, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to make his return to the pitch following a lengthy spell on the bench. Neuer will replace Ralf Faehrmann who, along with Mathias Schober, performed admirably well in Neuer’s absence.

Midfielder Jermaine Jones and centre back Marcelo Bordon are fit to play tomorrow, although Rutten may give the two the day off, as the two sustained minor injuries against Koeln.

Defensive utility man Heiko Westermann also may not be risked tomorrow, as the German international is recovering from a bought of influenza.

A definite absentee from the Schalke side is Jefferson Farfan, who also has fallen ill with the flu.

Probable Starting XI: Neuer, Pander, Krstajic, Hoewedes, Rafinha, Rakitic, Engelaar, Ernst, Asamoah, Kuranyi, Sanchez

APOEL

Team News to follow...

Probable Starting XI: Morfis, Poursaitidis, Christou, Broerse, Haxhi, Kosowski, Michail, Nuno Morais, Helio Pinto, Charalambidis, Zewlakov.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Schalke- Fabian Ernst

The midfielder has never been the most exciting footballer in the Schalke squad, but fans of the Ruhr team will be interested to see how Ernst has dealt with his being on the bench in recent weeks. Now at full fitness, the fiery defensive midfielder is sure to be champing at the bit and will do his best tomorrow to convince Rutten that, after his suspension, he should retain his place in the Schalke XI.

APOEL- Constantinos Makrides

The Cypriot international scored 13 league goals last year, enough to make him the third most prolific goalscorer in the Cypriot First Division. The attacking midfielder is blessed with excellent ball-handling abilities and an uncanny eye for goal. His late goal against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in a 2005 UEFA Cup qualifier was truly indicative of his talent; he dribbled from deep in his own half, passed the entire opposing defense and beat the goalkeeper to level the score in extra time.


PREDICTION

Miracles are possible, but rarely predictable. I pick Schalke to advance on aggregate, although APOEL will do their best and could even win on the road. Still, the Cypriot league has a long way to go before any of its teams can be predicted to beat what is arguably the best team in the Bundesliga at present.

Schalke 2-1 APOEL

Goal.com - UEFA Cup - UEFA Cup Preview: Schalke - APOEL

[RunX]

Rutten: It Was A Shame For The Fans

Schalke trainer Fred Rutten admitted that he was pleased to have made it through to the Uefa Cup Group stage following a 1-1 home draw with APOEL, but was sorry that the Königsblauen weren’t able to put on more of a show for their fans.

Schalke could only manage a 1-1 draw at the Veltins Arena against the Cypriot side but still make it through 5-2 on aggregate.

The visitors took an early lead through Helio Pinto after just six minutes, but Christian Pander equalised for the German side with a free kick on 57 minutes.

“It was all about making it through to the Group stage” trainer Rutten explained after the final whistle. “ We have reached our goal” he added.

“It’s a shame for the fans that the first leg and second leg results were not the other way around. What I did like though, was the lads that came on for us.”

Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi was also disappointed with the result, but more than satisfied to have progressed.

“It could have been a better evening, and I’m a little sorry for the fans, but the important thing is that we are through” he said.

“Perhaps next time I’ll have more luck in front of goal. We really wanted to reach the Group stage and we have done that.”

Goal.com - Schalke - Rutten: It Was A Shame For The Fans

[RunX]

Schalke 04 - VfL Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg are going to be there or thereabouts at the top for a long, long time", Schalke coach Fred Rutten says of Sunday's opponents.

His counterpart at VfL, Felix Magath, meanwhile sees in the Gelsenkirchen side "one of the favourites for the title. Schalke will be giving it their all after losing at Köln, they can't afford another defeat. It's going to be difficult for us."

The "Royal Blues" will nevertheless have to improve considerably on Thursday's performance in drawing 1-1 with APOEL Nicosia in the UEFA Cup if they are to take anything off the in-form "Wolves". In the Bundesliga, at any rate, they have an impeccable home record to date: three wins out of three, no goals conceded.

Farfan and Jones likely to start

Fabian Ernst sits out the final third of his suspension, but on the plus side Jefferson Farfan (flu) and Jermaine Jones (toe infection) are likely to be back in contention for a starting spot.

Wolfsburg are meanwhile hoping to show that last week's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruhe - their first of the season - was just a blip on their upward trajectory. "We're capable of taking something from our trip to Schalke", Magath says, adding that his players will have to "really take care at set pieces, where their defenders and Heiko Westermann above all are particularly dangerous."

With the exception of the suspended Grafite, the "Wolves" coach has a full deck of cards to shuffle for the trip.

[RunX]

The late, late show]

A goal from Kevin Kuranyi in the dying seconds of added time salvaged Schalke a point at home to Wolfsburg, and kept their unbeaten home record intact.

Kuranyi's second strike of the game gave the "Royal Blues" a hard-earned point against their "bogey" team Wolfsburg.

The result means they drop to fifth in the table on 12 points, four behind HSV. Wolfsburg remain mid-table on 10.

Schalke in front

In a tempestuous match in Gelsenkirchen it was Schalke who drew first blood, Kuranyi netting in the 20th minute to end a pesonal barren spell of 735 minutes without a goal in competitive action.

For much of the first half Schalke were the dominant force on the pitch, playing the kind of football that they have struggled to aspire to in recent weeks.

But, just as they did last season in the Arena, Wolfsburg responded after a slow start with a double strike of their own. Edin Dzeko headed them level in the 51st minute and Caiuby, just seconds after coming off the bench, bagged what so nearly proved to be the winner.

Brief appearance

Seven minutes later the Brazilian was off again, as "Wolves" coach Felix Magath redstructred his time following the sending-off of defensive chief Ricardo Costa for a professional foul on Heiko Westermann in the 71st minute. Rafinha stepped up to take the resultant penalty, only to see VfL keeper Diego Benaglio make a brilliant save.

A man to the good, Schalke rolled forward to try and stave off defeat. Their efforts paid off from a last-ditch corner. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer joined the rest of the team in the opposing box and it was he who set up the ball for Kuranyi to stab over the line - game over!

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

[RunX]

Schalke Save Blushes With Late Leveller

Schalke 2-2 Wolfsburg

Schalke very nearly fell prey to an embarrassing home defeat despite dominating proceedings against Wolfsburg, but grabbed a late equaliser to salvage some pride...

Over the span of the match, Schalke had 73% of possession, but a very efficient Wolfsburg came back from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead and hold it to the closing seconds of injury time. Then, in the 93rd minute, Schalke’s Kevin Kuranyi completed his brace on a tap-in assisted by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had been pulled out of goal for the closing seconds.

FIRST HALF:

From the opening whistle, a dominant Schalke controlled the tempo of the first half. The home side were able to win 79% possession during this time, a stunning feat, although gilt-eged opportunities were a rarity for either side.

The visitors' only shot on target in the first half came after 11 minutes, and nearly put them ahead. Iranian-born Ashkan Dejagah rifled a high, curling shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball was directly above Manuel Neuer's head. The German U-21 international leaped and pushed the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

Five minutes later, Schalke had their first real opportunity on goal, when Halil Altintop sent a cross from the right flank that found Orlando Engelaar at the far post. The Dutch international lunged with his left foot and sent a first-touch volley just over the bar.

In the 18th minute, the impressive Altintop again nearly provided a gorgeous assist by sending a clever through ball to Rafinha on a 1-2 passing series. The Brazilian fullback caught up to the ball and sent a shot towards goal, but an impressive Diego Benaglio was in position to make the save.

The home side finally had something to show for their time on the ball when Kevin Kuranyi scored the opener in the 20th minute. Mladen Krstajic sent a ball over the top and into the penalty area, where Halil Altintop nodded the ball over to Kevin Kuranyi. Kuranyi raced past his defender and volleyed home from twelve yards out.

The visitors had a few half-chances, but rarely were able to turn them into good goal-scoring opportunities as the imposing Schalke defense closed upon them. It was during these times that Wolfsburg sorely missed Brazilian striker Grafite, who was suspended following his being sent off against Karlsruhe last week.

The best opportunity that went to the visitors came when Krstajic's clearance on 30 minutes went straight to Dejagah, who then passed to Zvjezdan Misimovic. The Bosnian midfielder took an ambitious shot from outside the penalty area, but missed high.

The home side entered half-time with only a 1-0 lead, but with complete control of the flow of play.

SECOND HALF:

Having lost possession by such a large margin in the first half, Wolfsburg knew they would have to use utmost efficiency if they were to take any points from today's match.

Surely enough, it was efficiency that brought the Wolves back into today's match. Following a slow opening few minutes, Wolfsburg won a throw-in. Dejagah made an excellent run to beat his defender, and volleyed the throw-in from the right side to the centre of the penalty area, where Edin Dzeko was left with far too much space to head home.

Just as suddenly as Wolfsburg scored the equalizer, they scored the go-ahead goal on 67 minutes. Following a series of one-touch passes, Josue sent a well-weighted through ball to the newly-substituted Caiuby, who beat Bordon and the onrushing Neuer to sent a low ball into the back of the net.

Having lost their control of the match, Schalke pressed for the equalizer. Heiko Westermann was played through in the 71st minute and was inches from the ball and a certain goal when he was tackled from behind by Ricardo Costa. With Costa having failed to make a play on the ball, the referee was given no choice but to give the Portuguese defender a straight red card and award a penalty kick.

Right back Rafinha stepped to the spot to take the penalty, and sent a hard shot to the bottom left corner. Rafinha's well-struck shot was stopped by an even better save from the superb Benaglio, who ensured that Costa's sacrifice was not in vain.

Five minutes later, the visitors nearly made the score 3-1 as Marcel Schaefer blasted a free kick from well outside the penalty area to the left side. His shot was blasted by a diving Neuer, but was inches wide of the left post.

As the match moved towards a close, Schalke were unable to take advantage of the presence of an extra man on the pitch. In the 81st minute, Engelaar sent a rocket of a shot high and towards goal, but the ball careened into the side netting.

In the closing minutes, the home side appeared over-eager to score and seemed to lack composure in front of goal; although several impressive through-balls and crosses were sent into the penalty area, the final touch was always lacking.

During injury time, Wolfsburg had two late chances to put the match out of reach. Sascha Riether sent a ball through to Dzeko, but the Bosnian’s shot was saved in the bottom right corner. Moments later, Josue fired a right-footed shot from outside the box, but missed just wide to the left.

Wolfsburg’s failure to capitalize on their late opportunities would prove costly. In the closing seconds, Westermann whipped a low ball across the face of goal. Wolfsburg’s Cristian Zaccardo was first to the ball and wisely knocked it out of play.

Following the resulting corner, a loose ball in the penalty area found, of all people, Neuer, who sent the ball towards Kuranyi for the tap-in and equalizer. Seconds later, the final whistle blew, and the visitors were left to re their misfortune.

Schalke 2-2 Wolfsburg

1-0 Kurayi (20)

1-1 Dzeko (51)

1-2 Caiuby (66)

2-2 Kuranyi (93)

Yellow Cards: Bordon (53), Jones (62), Krstajic (73), Kuranyi (75) / Riether (59), Misimovic (60)

Red Cards: Costa (71)

Schalke: Neuer - Kobiashvili, Krstajic, Bordon, Rafinha - Jones (Sanchez, 76), Westermann, Engelaar - Farfan, Kuranyi, Altintop

Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Riether, Zaccardo, Barzagli, Costa, Schaefer - Gentner (Hasebe, 65), Josue, Misimovic, Dejagah (Caiuby, 65, Madlung, 72)- Dzeko

Goal.com - Bundesliga - Schalke Save Blushes With Late Leveller

[RunX]

Schalke Boss: Twente Match Will Be Emotional For Me

Schalke 04's Dutch boss Fred Rutten has reacted to the Uefa Cup draw, which pits him against his former club FC Twente.

Rutten is looking forward to what will be an emotional game for himself and Orlando Engelaar, who both only just in the summer made the switch from the side now managed by Steve McClaren. However, it is newly super rich Manchester City who he suggest will be their main danger in their UEFA Cup group.

"We didn't exactly land in an easy group but I still fancy our chances. I have real faith in my team, even though I am well aware that an English club like Manchester City will be a tough ask.

"Paris St. Germain will be no pushover either after having reinforced themselves with such players as Giuly, Kezman and Makelele.

"Racing Santander haven't managed to start the season well, but we all know that Spanish tea