Quarter-final - Match preview

Magath issues Osnabrück warning

The Royal Blues are away to third-division side VfL Osnabrück in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup on Wednesday (2030 CET, live on ZDF). Felix Magath is looking forward to the Osnatel ARENA clash but was keen to point out today that Schalke face a difficult task despite the difference in class.

"Everyone's assuming we'll go through to the semi-finals," the Schalke manager said. "But in the cup anything is possible. In this competition the higher-division team doesn't always win." VfL Osnabrück are a prime example of this, having already disposed of second-division Hansa Rostock (2-1) and title-chasing Bundesliga sides Hamburg (4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw) and Borussia Dortmund (3-2) this season. "So we have ample warning of how good they are," said Magath. "We won't underestimate Osnabrück at all."

This is all the more important as evening kick-offs at the Osnatel ARENA have a habit of ending gloomily for the visiting side – the Violets have not lost at home under floodlights for more than three years. The last team to win a night match there was Hertha BSC Berlin in December 2006, also in a cup-tie. The stadium has been sold out for three months. A total of 16,130 fans will be there, though the Lower Saxony outfit could have sold more than three times that number of tickets.

"The stadium is a cauldron, it's always buzzing," said Magath. "It's the kind of atmosphere I like because it drives the home side forward. So we'll have to be wide awake from the start and take our chances when they come." And Magath is in confident mood despite Osnabrück's home strength and current run of form (seven games with defeat). "I expect us to come through and take another step on the road to Berlin", he said. The capital city will host the cup final on 15 May.

To get closer to this goal, the Schalke boss has prepared well for the third-division leaders. "More than before than some Bundesliga matches," he revealed. "Going by what we've learned from watching them and the TV footage we have at our disposal I think we have a good understanding of Osnabrück's strengths and weaknesses."

The defence has been a key factor in Osnabrück's recent good run, as it has been for the Royal Blues. They have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league fixtures and have conceded just 21 goals this term, the best defensive record of any third-division side. Magath said: "We certainly can't afford to miss lots of chances."