week 28 - match report
Schalke crash 5-1 to clinical Bremen
If there was any good news for Schalke on Saturday afternoon it was this: despite crashing to a 5-1 defeat at Werder Bremen the Royal Blues remain in third place and thus in a Champions League position. "It's a bad result for us", conceded Mirko Slomka. "But we did waste quite a few chances in the first half."
For the top-of-the-table clash at the Weser Stadium the Schalke boss opted for an attacking line-up similar to the one that saw off Hansa Rostock 1-0 at home last week. Albert Streit and Vicente Sanchez were given the task of creating pressure down the flanks, with Christian Pander pushing up from left-back. And in the first half it worked to a treat, the only problem being that the Royal Blues wasted a host of chances produced by their quick, attractive passing play. With five minutes gone Marcelo Bordon headed straight into the arms of Tim Wiese when ideally placed. Sixty seconds later Pander's free-kick shaved the right-hand upright. And when Sanchez squared the ball for Halil Altintop on 9, the Turkey striker went for technique rather than an agricultural swipe, allowing Clemens Fritz to clear.
"Our play was very disjointed and rushed in the first half, we made a lot of mistakes", said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. "All the better for us that we took the lead and then even added a second." Baumann opened the scoring on 19 minutes, heading home a free-kick that appeared to have been cleared, and then Sanogo found the net, again with a header, on 32. The Royal Blues refused to give up, however, and at this point still looked as if they could turn the game round at any time as they created chance after chance. Yet they continued to squander the clearest of opportunities, as in the 41st minute, to name but one example, when Sanchez was denied by Wiese in a one on one with the Bremen keeper, having failed to spot the unmarked Streit to his right. Moments later, however, Kevin Kuranyi did reduce the deficit with a header.
"In the first half we took one chance that wasn't really a chance at all. But we wasted quite a lot of opportunities before that. Bremen taught us a lesson in effectiveness", commented Slomka. "We even had the chance to make it 2-2 immediately after the restart." But when Sanchez cut the ball back cleverly for Fabian Ernst, the midfielder failed to hit the target from twelve metres, with only an outfield Bremen player between him and the goal. "Gaining the upper hand is important, but by scoring you sap your opponents' willpower and ability to get back into the game", said Thomas Schaaf, who knew just how Slomka felt, having had a similar experience when Werder lost 6-3 in Stuttgart just after the winter break.
The Royal Blues continued to go forward, but it was the home side who got the goals. Rosenberg restored Werder's two-goal advantage with another header on 59, and Klasnic put the game out of Schalke's reach with a fourth on 76. "Werder were clinical, and after their fourth, at the latest, the effects of Barcelona on our minds and legs were making themselves felt", opined Slomka. "We've never conceded more than two goals while I've been in charge. It was a bit of a hammering for us." Nevertheless the Royal Blues still have their destiny in their own hands. So now the players will simply have to dust themselves down and show the right response at home to Energie Cottbus on Tuesday.
Bremen: Wiese - Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Pasanen - Baumann - Frings, Borowski (Hunt 60') - Diego (Özil 86') - Rosenberg (Klasnic 60'), Sanogo
Schalke: Neuer - Westermann (Rafinha 73'), Bordon, Krstajic, Pander - Ernst, Jones - Streit, Sanchez (Lovenkrands 65') - Kuranyi, Altintop (Asamoah 60')
Referee: Gräfe (Berlin)
Goals: 1-0 Baumann (19'), 2-0 Sanogo (33'), 2-1 Kuranyi (42'), 3-1 Rosenberg (59'), 4-1 Klasnic (76'), 5-1 Klasnic (89')
Attendance: 42,100 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Borowski (5/1), Rosenberg (5), Frings (4), Sanogo (2) - Streit (2), Jones
