week 13 - match preview
Schalke out to extend winning run in Cologne
Staying in touch at the top is the stated aim of the Royal Blues ahead of the trip to Cologne. Ralf Rangnick's men are looking to land their third win in a row on Saturday.
"If we manage to repeat our performances in the last two matches, I'm sure we'll win the game", Schalke's head coach said. The victories over Fenerbahce (2-0) in the Champions League and MSV Duisburg in the Bundesliga (3-0) had shown that the team were on the right road. Keeping a clean sheet in both matches was pleasing, he added, but he was also delighted with his side's attacking display: "We created lots of chances. And we scored five goals as well", he explained.
Much of this is down to the pairing of Kuranyi and Lincoln. The two Brazilian-born players showed a significant upturn in form in the Fenerbahce and Duisburg games. "Everyone's allowed a phase when things don't go that well", said general manager Rudi Assauer. "Happily it would seem theirs is over. The team are playing with assuredness and enjoying themselves again. And the ones who are benefiting most of all from this are Kevin Kuranyi and Lincoln." Two players who, according to Assauer, require lots of encouragement. The Schalke number ten, in particular, needed coddling, he revealed.
Now Assauer is demanding the footballing wizards from the Copacabana repay this trust. Preferably at the RheinEnergie Stadium on Saturday, when Schalke visit newly promoted Cologne. The home side will have been encouraged by a decent performance against Bayern Munich followed by a 1-1 draw in Wolfsburg. "They battled 90 minutes for a draw and in the end deserved to get a point, and they are now clinging onto this", said Rangnick.
The Schalke boss does not believe his side will neglect their Bundesliga duties in view of Wednesday's Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven. "The game is too important for that, you only have to look at the table", he said. On the contrary, Rangnick believes the forthcoming match against Eindhoven should even help them on Saturday. "If we beat Cologne, the mood in the run-up to Wednesday's game will be good", he explained.
As far as his outfield players are concerned, Rangnick has no major concerns. Aside from long-term casualties Mimoun Azaouagh, Tim Hoogland, Christian Pander (all knee), Manuel Neuer (thumb) and Marco van Hoogdalem (hip), the only player he cannot call upon is Tomasz Waldoch, who after tearing an ankle ligament will not return to the squad until the beginning of next year.
All the players who were involved in World Cup play-offs this week are physically fit. But while Hamit Altintop, Dario Rodriguez and Gustavo Varela came through their matches unscathed, it is not clear how they have coped with going out of the competition. Rangnick is confident in this respect, though: "It is, after all, part of our job to gee them up again. I'm sure we'll manage."
