week 10 - match report

Despite goals from Peter Lovenkrands and Levan Kobiashvili, Schalke 04 were eventually forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich at the VELTINS Arena on Sunday.

Head coach Mirko Slomka made three changes to the side that lost 3-0 at VfB Stuttgart last week. Manuel Neuer got the nod over Frank Rost in goal, while Levan Kobiashvili came in for Sebastian Boenisch in midfield. Hamit Altintop also had to make way for Kevin Kuranyi, as Slomka opted to start with three strikers.

It was an unusual atmosphere to begin with at the VELTINS Arena. Schalke's major supporter groups had called on fans to stage a silent protest for the first 19 minutes and four seconds, and just about everyone heeded the call, leaving the visiting Bayern supporters with no opposition in the singing stakes. It was a strange picture on the pitch, too, as Schalke served up some bold, attacking football amid the silence that unnerved the visitors from Munich.

And they took a deserved lead on 13 minutes when Peter Lovenkrands notched his first Bundesliga goal for the Royal Blues after a pass from Gustavo Varela. "It was similar to the Bremen game. We had no control whatsoever over the opening stages and nothing to offer against Schalke's aggressive style of play", noted Bayern coach Felix Magath. All the more so after what was a goosepimple-inducing 20th minute. With the fans loudly applauding the imminent end of their silent protest, Levan Kobiashvili found the net with a superb strike seconds later to make it 2-0.

"The goal came at a very appropriate moment", was Slomka's obvious reaction, "but unfortunately their first came at a very inopportune time for us". The Royal Blues may have been fortunate when Roy Makaay's 35th minute strike was ruled out for an alleged offside offence, but on the stroke of half-time youngster Andreas Ottl pulled one back for the visitors. "After that you saw what a quality side Bayern are. And after that we were unable to keep them away from our goal", said Slomka on Makaay's equaliser seven minutes into the second half.

"When the support and the atmosphere returned we got in the mood and gradually took control of the game. So in that respect we deserved to get the equaliser", summarised Magath, as neither side was able to fashion any more clear-cut chances. A view shared by Slomka: "Towards the end we had one or two decent opportunities to counter, but in the end the luck wasn't with us. We can live with the draw."

Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon (Hoogland 56'), Krstajic, Rodriguez (Pander 72') - Varela (Hamit Altintop 78'), Bajramovic, Kobiashvili - Halil Altintop, Kuranyi, Lovenkrands

Bayern: Kahn - Sagnol, Demichelis, van Buyten, Lahm - van Bommel (Karimi 82'), Ottl, Schweinsteiger - Santa Cruz (Salihamidzic 80'), Makaay, Pizarro

Goals: 1-0 Lovenkrands (13'), 2-0 Kobiashvili (20'), 2-1 Ottl (45'), 2-2 Makaay (52')

Attendance: 61,482 (sold out)

Referee: Knut Kircher (Rottenburg)

Yellow cards: Bordon (4) - Ottl, van Bommel (2), van Buyten