week 24 - match report

Royal Blues slip to 4-3 defeat in Wolfsburg

Friday night's clash between VfL Wolfsburg and Schalke 04 was an intriguing match-up between two sides with outstanding qualities. After 90 minutes the team with the most prolific attack in the league had knocked over the team with the meanest defence, extending their impressive home run to ten wins in succession with a 4-3 victory.

"When you score three times away from home you normally come away with the points", said head coach Fred Rutten after the defeat. In his analysis the Schalke boss said his team had come up against a very strong Wolfsburg side, but he also cited the role played by some uncharacteristic defending: "Obviously I'm not happy with our defensive shape today", he said.

The signs were there even before the game had started. Marcelo Bordon was ruled out by a knee injury, while goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was laid low by a stomach bug just before the kick-off. Heiko Westermann and Jefferson Farfan also went into the game less than 100 percent fit. All the more surprising, then, that Westermann, of all people, fired the Royal Blues ahead after surging upfield and hammering a shot into the far corner in the ninth minute. Schalke were determined not to come away empty-handed and started confidently. But after around 20 minutes the home side began to impose themselves on the game.

They were helped by the award of a penalty for a foul on Grafite on 25, which the Brazilian converted himself to make it 1-1. In the ensuing period the Wolfsburg trio of Misimovic, Dzeko and Grafite showed just why are they most potent attacking force in the Bundesliga. And the home side's second in the 44th minute, scored by Dzeko from Grafite's cross, came at what is commonly considered the worst time to concede. "It wasn't easy to gee the players up again after that", explained Rutten, "and it took a while before we were back in it properly."

And then Grafite notched his second of the evening on 74 to make it 3-1. Schalke hit back almost immediately through Jones, and after Grafite had made it 4-2 on 84 Kuranyi was on hand to pull it back to 4-3 in time added-on, but ultimately the Royal Blues lacked the strength for more. "I need to go away and analyse the game", a frustrated Rutten said. "We came to Wolfsburg today to looking for points. The defeat hurts, of course, but not too much because we lost to a team who will have a say in the championship race."

Wolfsburg boss Felix Magath was reluctant to accept the praise, saying: "Today we were lucky in that our opponents had problems with their line-up", he said. "I know how dangerous we are in attack, but I don't want to hear any talk of us winning the league. The fact we let them come back into it twice shows we aren't serious candidates for the title. After we'd made it 3-1 we made some stupid mistakes not fitting for a top side", he continued. "We were lucky."

The Schalke delegation may have left Wolfsburg with nothing to show for their efforts, but they did have the backing of their fans. After the final whistle the whole team ran over to the thousands of travelling fans to thank them for their nonstop support and were rewarded with loud chants of "Schalke!".


Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Pekarik, Simunek, Barzagli, Schäfer - Gentner (Hasebe 71'), Madlung, Josué - Misimovic (Dejagah 79') - Grafite (Okubo 87'), Dzeko
Schalke: Schober - Rafinha, Höwedes, Krstajic, Kobiashvili (Pander 52') - Jones, Westermann (Latza 46') - Rakitic – Farfan, Kuranyi, Sanchez (Altintop 77')
Referee: Sippel (Munich)
Goals: 0-1 Westermann (9'), 1-1 Grafite (pen. 25'), 2-1 Dzeko (44'), 3-1 Grafite(74'), 3-2 Jones (76'), 4-2 Grafite (84'), 4-3 Kuranyi (90' +1)
Attendance: 30,000 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Grafite (3), Pekarik - Kuranyi (2), Latza