Match preview - Week 9

Royal Blues ready for Kaiserslautern challenge

Following the international break, the Royal Blues take on FC Kaiserslautern in Saturday’s big match on match day nine (kick-off: 18.30 CET). This weekend’s opponents have made a below par start to the current league campaign but Schalke head coach Huub Stevens has warned against underestimating the ‘Red Devils’.

“Kaiserslautern will be a very well organised side,” declared Huub Stevens ahead of the game against the team lying sixteenth in the Bundesliga with just five points to date. “Even though they’re at the wrong end of the table, they do possess certain strengths. They’ve got some pacy strikers in their line-up. And Christian Tiffert tries to influence the game from midfield.”

However, the Royal Blues’ focus is directed at their own game rather than the opposition’s qualities. Stevens declared: “Obviously, the opposition is a key part of a match. But we’re looking at ourselves and we need to be on top of our game.” It’s a question of taking a balanced approach on the pitch and making the best of our qualities in challenges.

The Schalke training ground was a hive of activity during the international break. “We didn’t have all the players here,” explained the Dutchman, “but we were able to work on a number of areas. We did a lot in terms of switching play and we also worked hard on fitness levels.” The squad gave 100 per cent but remained relaxed at the same time. “They showed that on and off the pitch,” the head coach said with a wry smile. And now they have the chance to show what they can do against the Red Devils.

Kaiserslautern have one man in their ranks who Stevens knows particularly well: Marco Kurz. The FCK coach was part of the legendary team of 1997. “Just like Mike Büskens or Youri Mulder, Marco was a player with a mentality that always put the team first. That will definitely stand him in good stead as a coach,” said Stevens. “On top of that, I hope the lads learned  a thing or two from me back then. But not too much,” he added with a grin, “because we want to pick up the points on Saturday.”