week 22 - match report

Battling Blues hammer out 2-1 win in Frankfurt

If statistics are to be believed, Schalke's game in Frankfurt was destined to be a draw. Eintracht were still looking for their first home win of the year, and Schalke were struggling away from home. That the Royal Blues eventually came away with all three points after a 2-1 victory was down to their desire to win and an increase in effectiveness in front of goal that had been so badly lacking in recent weeks.

Head coach Fred Rutten was again forced to rejig his line-up. Benedikt Höwedes started on the bench as a precautionary measure after sustaining a blow to the back in training. In his place Schalke skipper Marcelo Bordon returned to the team for the first time since breaking his left hand. Gerald Asamoah made way for Vicente Sanchez in attack, a switch that saw the Uruguayan make his first league start of the season.

Both teams showed from the start that they were determined to overcome the statistics. But neither Frankfurt nor the Royal Blues were able to take their opening chances. Manuel Neuer prevented his side from going behind with a great save early on, while at the other end Sanchez went agonisingly close to putting Schalke ahead. So it was not completely accurate to claim that the opening goal had come from nothing, as Eintracht coach Friedhelm Funkel did later. Rafinha's 39th minute strike was also the product of some meticulous planning. "We came here to get three points", explained Fred Rutten. "Frankfurt were very well organised, which is why taking the lead was crucial. Because if Frankfurt have space in which to break, they are capable of beating us."

The second half, in contrast, sparked some unpleasant memories. Schalke lacked the precision of the first half and were able to put the game to bed on the break, as in Bochum and last time out against Dortmund. "We could have calmed our nerves by adding a quick second, but instead we conceded the equaliser", criticised Rutten. His annoyance at Frankfurt's late leveller soon turned to joy, however. The Royal Blues could not afford to drop points again and they charged forward, forcing the winner through Heiko Westermann two minutes later.

"We responded very well", said Rutten in praise of his players, "which is why I'm very happy with my team and the way they fought to secure the three points." Recent experience meant the Schalke boss knew exactly how his Eintracht counterpart was feeling. But Funkel bemoaned not only his side's failure to convert their chances, but also their defending. "I'm very unhappy with the outcome. It was a bitter defeat for us. Both goals could have been prevented, especially the second. Their goals came from nothing", he said.

Schalke would argue that the 2-1 win was a result of their making better use of their chances. Scoring two goals from few opportunities could be a good foundation for the tasks ahead, agreed general manager Andreas Müller: "We have our next game in the cup at FSV Mainz on Tuesday, and on Friday we entertain Cologne. It's going to be a decisive week." This was precisely the reason why he was delighted with Schalke's battling performance. "They've had to deal with so many setbacks and yet they were determined to score the winner. Perhaps that was a small step towards turning the corner."

Frankfurt: Pröll - Ochs, Russ, Bellaid, Köhler - Fink, Chris - Caio (Steinhöfer 69'), Meier, Fenin - Kweuke (Korkmaz 60')
Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Kobiashvili - Engelaar, Jones, Westermann - Sanchez (Asamoah 80'), Kuranyi, Farfan (Altintop 64')
Referee: Meyer (Burgdorf)
Goals: 0-1 Rafinha (39'), 1-1 Fink (81'), 1-2 Westermann (83')
Attendance: 51,500 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Russ (5), Bellaid (3), Köhler (4), Fenin (5) - Jones (5/1), Rafinha (5/3), Westermann (3), Krstajic (2)