Bundesliga
week 11 - match report

Schalke stage another thrilling comeback in 2-2 draw with Leverkusen

Déjà-vu at the VELTINS Arena: the sight of the Royal Blues trudging towards the dressing room at half-time 2-0 down to Bayer Leverkusen evoked memories of the previous week. And Felix Magath could hardly believe it when Schalke clawed back the deficit, just as they had done against Hamburg…

"I had little hope that we could repeat the monumental effort of last week", he confessed after the 2-2 draw, "especially after playing in the DFB Cup in midweek. But the players did a fantastic job and showed great morale."

That praise came after the Royal Blues had put their manager through a roller coaster of emotions. After making a good start and fashioning chances for Farfan (20') and Kuranyi (24') they increasingly loosened their grip on the proceedings, enabling the visitors to take the lead through Kroos on 29 minutes. Leverkusen's second, just before the break, would not have come as such a blow had the home side made better use of their chances.

In the second half the works club were content to sit back and wait for an opportunity to counter. And though the Royal Blues piled on the pressure, their hopes of repeating the recent comeback against Hamburg faded by the minute, especially after referee Michael Weiner had ruled out a Jefferson Farfan goal on the hour.

Schalke's attacking efforts were handed a boost in the 74th minute, however, when Leverkusen's towering defender Sami Hyypiä hobbled off injured. Clear-cut chances remained a rarity, though, and Kevin Kuranyi's strike after a goalmouth scramble seven minutes from time was almost symptomatic of their evening. "It was a goal that came about through will and determination", as Magath was to sum up later. Still pitchside, his gaze turned to the heavens, where the time on the videocube heralded the final push.

The reward for the Schalke onslaught arrived in the 88th minute, though Magath could hardly have predicted it would come from someone not exactly known for his fearsome heading ability, the 1.70 metre tall Vicente Sanchez. The Uruguayan's equaliser unleashed a massive outburst of noise inside the VELTINS Arena, and after the 3-3 draw with Hamburg signalled what felt like another moral victory. "We caved in at the end. Schalke simply had more oomph", said Leverkusen goalkeeper René Adler in tribute to the Royal Blues. "But when they pull one back in this stadium it does get very, very tough."

Director of sport Rudi Völler summed things up for the visitors on behalf of head coach Jupp Heynckes, who is still struggling with flu, finding words of praise for the opposition: "Despite playing in midweek, Schalke came back with the backing of the crowd. That said, we're very disappointed because we didn't take our chances on the break. Then there's always a chance you'll concede after a monumental effort."

Magath focused on the difference between battling and footballing qualities, saying: "Leverkusen outclassed us at times. Like Hamburg last week they gave a demonstration of top-quality football." But 21 points from eleven games are no grounds for complaint, as the Schalke boss readily admitted. "I'm very pleased with how we're progressing", he said. We've picked up more points than we first thought possible. But we have lots of young players who still need time to develop. Over the season it will be very difficult for us to win games by virtue of effort, strength and morale alone."

Schalke: Neuer - Höwedes, Zambrano, Bordon, Westermann - Moritz (Rakitic 67') - Rafinha, Schmitz - Holtby (Sanchez 41') - Farfan, Kuranyi
Leverkusen: Adler - Schwaab, Friedrich, Hyypiä (Sinkiewicz 74'), Castro (Sarpei 61') - Vidal, Reinartz - Barnetta (Bender 89'), Kroos - Kiessling, Derdiyok
Goals: 0-1 Kroos (29'), 0-2 Kiessling (44'), 1-2 Kuranyi (83'), 2-2 Sanchez (88')
Referee: Weiner (Giesen)
Attendance: 61,673 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Farfan (3), Rafinha (2), Bordon (3) - Schwaab, Reinartz (3)