week 18 - match report
Schalke overnight leaders after 3-1 win in Frankfurt
FC Schalke 04 will sit on top of the Bundesliga table for at least 24 hours after a deserved 3-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. In front of 51,500 fans a goal from Gustavo Varela and two from Kevin Kuranyi saw the Royal Blues to their third win in a row.
Following the loss of Christian Pander to injury (torn ankle ligament), Dario Rodriguez filled in at left-back. Head coach Mirko Slomka went with a 4-4-2 formation with Fabian Ernst and Levan Kobiashvili in a holding role in midfield, Lincoln in the hole behind the two strikers, Kevin Kuranyi and Halil Altintop, and Gustavo Varela on the right.
The Royal Blues got off to a shaky start and saw Frankfurt fashion two early chances through Meier and Takahara. But when Slomka's men created their first opportunity after a fine move involving six players, the lively Varela left Frankfurt keeper Pröll no chance with a low drive into the right-hand corner.
Having taken the lead Schalke always posed a threat with their quick forward play. Lincoln (18'), Kuranyi (22') and Halil Altintop (40') could all have added a second for the Royal Blues on one of their fast counterthrusts. Both Lincoln and Kobiashvili carved out openings for the Schalke forwards with some neat through balls. Varela was always available and Kuranyi fought hard to win possession and initiate a number of Schalke counterattacks.
The Royal Blues also settled down in defence. But in the 22nd minute Manuel Neuer demonstrated his class with an outstanding save from Albert Streit to prevent the equaliser. After the mediocre start to the half they dominated the rest of the half and were well worth their lead as the sides went in at the break.
Yet the second half could not have started any worse for Slomka's men. After a 50-50 challenge in midfield involving Benjamin Huggel and Levan Kobiashvili the ball flew towards Naohiro Takahara in the Schalke penalty area. The Japan striker beat Mladen Krstajic to the ball and slipped a shot past Neuer to level the scores (48'). And four minutes later Neuer pulled off a good stop to prevent Amanatidis putting the home side ahead.
With just over an hour gone Slomka introduced a third striker in Peter Lovenkrands for Gustavo Varela. Schalke gained the upper hand again and went back in front in the 70th minute through Kuranyi, who headed his seventh goal of the season from close range after Marcelo Bordon had flicked on a Lincoln corner. The Royal Blues could have extended their lead just two minutes later when Halil Altintop played the ball into the box, only for a Frankfurt defender to scramble the ball clear at the last second. In the closing stages the home side went all out for an equaliser, but Schalke defended well and in the final minute they secured a deserved 3-1 victory through Kuranyi after a break involving Lincoln, a win that puts them on top of the table overnight.
Frankfurt: Pröll - Ochs, Kyrgiakos, Vasoski, Spycher - Jones (Thurk 76'), Huggel - Streit, Meier, Amanatidis (Heller 68') - Takahara
Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Rodriguez - Ernst - Varela (Lovenkrands 63'), Kobiashvili (Bajramovic 70') - Lincoln - Kuranyi, Halil Altintop (Hamit Altintop 76')
Goals: 0-1 Varela (16'), 1-1 Takahara (48'), 1-2 Kuranyi (70'), 1-3 Kuranyi (90'+2)
Attendance: 51,500 (sold out)
Referee: Dr Helmut Fleischer (Sigmertshausen)
Yellow cards: Jones - Rafinha
