week 30 - match report
Schalke on Champions League course as Kuranyi sinks Hamburg
The Royal Blues took a huge stride towards the Champions League after an early goal by Kevin Kuranyi gave them victory in Hamburg. Schalke's second win in succession under the Büskens/Mulder coaching tandem left them level on points with second-placed Werder Bremen, who drew 3-3 in Karlsruhe.
Head coach Mike Büskens was obviously delighted after beating the side immediately below them in the table and felt Kevin Kuranyi's second-minute strike set the game up perfectly for them. "We knew that Hamburg have problems against teams who keep things tight at the back. And after going ahead we were able to exploit that to the full. Hamburg did have more of the possession but they created hardly any clear-cut chances", he explained.
Büskens and Mulder were forced to make one change to the side that beat Energie Cottbus 5-0 last time out. Christian Pander was ruled out by groin trouble, allowing Mladen Krstajic, fit again after a bout of gastroenteritis, to return to the starting line-up. The Serb defender lined up alongside Marcelo Bordon in central defence, with Heiko Westermann switching to left-back. Otherwise the Royal Blues operated with the same formation as against Cottbus.
And they wasted no time carrying on where they left off last Tuesday. Looking to get the ball forward quickly when winning possession in midfield, they got an early reward, taking the lead after just 91 seconds when Kuranyi headed home Albert Streit's cross. And they could have doubled their advantage five minutes later, but Halil Altintop, with only Frank Rost to beat, was unable to find the net.
It was a good start by Schalke but gradually their play became a bit disjointed. Hamburg were more aggressive in the tackle and had a number of opportunities to equalise. But neither Rafael van der Vaart (4' and 40'), Ivica Olic (12' and 19') nor Paolo Guerrero (33') were able to find a way past Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer. "We wanted to stay compact 35 metres out and close down the space", said Büskens afterwards. And apart from a few exceptions we did that very well."
The second half was largely a quiet affair. Though both teams looked to get the ball forward, much of their play was too rushed. The game ebbed to and fro, but hardly any clear-cut chances were created. As a result the two sides resorted mainly to shooting from distance. But attempts by Guerrero (54' and 73'), Jones (57') and Guy Demel (64') failed to trouble either keeper.
The best chance after the break fell to Guerrero on 84, and it took a last-minute intervention by Krstajic to defuse the danger. Schalke went straight back up the other end and the home side could consider themselves fortunate not to give away a penalty when referee Herbert Fandel failed to spot a blatant foul by Reinhardt on Jones and waved play on.
Hamburg: Rost - Boateng, Reinhardt, Mathijsen, Atouba (Brecko 54') – De Jong, Kompany (Trochowski 27') – Demel, Van der Vaart, Olic (Zidan 78') - Guerrero
Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Westermann - Ernst, Jones – Streit (Asamoah 82'), Altintop (Rakitic 75'), Sanchez (Kobiashvili 69') – Kuranyi
Referee: Fandel (Kyllburg)
Goal: 0-1 Kuranyi (2')
Attendance: 57,000 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Boateng - Neuer
