week 26 - match preview

Home clash with Stuttgart "a pointer, not a final"

Saturday's home clash with VfB Stuttgart is a very important game, as Mirko Slomka emphasises. The Schalke boss has laid down the clear objective of consolidating the club's position at the top of the table and keeping one of their main rivals in the championship race at bay.

Stuttgart have gone three games without a win, though Slomka was unwilling to talk in terms of a crisis: "They're still very confident and are a very, very good side. Like us they've had a bit of a sticky patch and been without several key players."

The situation ahead of Saturday's game at the VELTINS Arena, however, was completely different, the Schalke coach continued. With a win his players could protect their lead at the top and extend the gap to one of the chasing teams, while Stuttgart had an opportunity to move within a point of the Royal Blues.

Yet for all the game's explosive potential the championship race would not be settled on Saturday, stressed Slomka. "It's not a final. You can only talk of a match being a final when the title is at stake." Instead, the clash against Stuttgart was an "exceptionally important game".

And Slomka also pointed to the visit to Bayern Munich on 31 March as another very important game. But regardless of their opponents, his side would not be underestimating anybody. "At this stage of the season all the teams are fighting to get into a decisive position, no matter what end of the table they are at", the Schalke boss warned.

In view of their three-point lead at the top the Royal Blues are "favourites to win the league", according to Slomka. "We're going to defend this position with every means at our disposal. And our means have improved this week because almost all our injured players have been able to resume training. This has seen us take a significant step forward. Compared with recent weeks there's been a vast difference in the way the players have been battling and playing."