Match preview - Week 2

Three points the target against Cologne

Ralf Rangnick knows exactly what he wants from the first Bundesliga home game of the 2011/12 season. The Schalke coach is determined to pick up three points against FC Cologne at the VELTINS Arena on Saturday (1530 CET) and thus make amends for the opening-day defeat at Stuttgart.

With this in mind Rangnick is demanding his side show solid organisation on the pitch: "We have to play closer together and reduce the gaps between the individual sections of the team. We are quite capable of doing so, as we demonstrated on a number of occasions during pre-season. Now we have to do it in the league as well."

The Schalke coach has no concerns that the Royal Blues could repeat their poor start to last season, when they lost their first four league matches. On the contrary, the 53-year-old believes his team are in fine fettle and feels the setback in Stuttgart may even serve as a wake-up call. "In the pre-season friendlies we showed we are further down the line than our performance last week would suggest. This week in training we turned our attention back to certain things from these matches to allow us to carry on where we left off there."

Rangnick aims to reward the fans for their support with a gutsy performance by his team. "We want to put on a really good display on our home ground and get the supporters going. We have the opportunity to show we're better. But to do so, we have to play with more resolve," he explained.

Cologne will be without striker Milivoje Novakovic through suspension but that does not interest Rangnick. "I prefer to concentrate on my own team and on things I can influence rather than what line-up our opponents might field," he said. And he had words of praise for his Germany Under-21 internationals, Lewis Holtby and Julian Draxler, who shone against Cyprus on Tuesday. "Both were very conspicuous and looked very dangerous. They showed how much progress they have made for their young age."