week 25 - match report

"Goals out of nothing" seal 2-1 defeat against HSV

The game against Hamburg SV had hardly kicked off but Fred Rutten was already feeling uneasy. "I realised from the outset that the players weren't very confident today", the Schalke boss explained. His sense of unease manifested itself in a 2-1 defeat, something that could have been avoided, he felt: "When you get the feeling you can't win the game, you don't necessarily have to lose it."

Schalke's personnel problems had eased considerably compared with the previous week. The stomach virus that laid low several players had cleared and the only squad members not available for selection were Marcelo Bordon (patellar tendon) and Levan Kenia (thigh). That saw Manuel Neuer return between the sticks, where he had very little do at first, as the two sides cancelled each other out for long periods. HSV were without the injured Mladen Petric and also had Ivica Olic ruled out just before the game with flu.

Hamburg coach Martin Jol was thus without his first-choice strike pairing, but surprisingly it didn't prove a hindrance: "It may have been an advantage that Jarolim had to fill in as our number ten and we played with two wingers", he explained. "Schalke were very mobile and Westermann, in particular, runs like a man possessed. So we struggled to keep them under control, though on the other hand we didn't allow them many chances."

As the same could be said of both sides, the 0-0 scoreline at the break was a fair reflection of the half. Though HSV striker Paolo Guerrero had scored twice against Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, he was largely anonymous. But when Manuel Neuer fluffed an attempted headed clearance on the edge of the penalty area with 70 minutes gone, the Peruvian was on hand to open the scoring for the visitors. "A goal out of nothing", said Rutten afterwards. "And when you concede a second four minutes later, it becomes very difficult, of course." The Dutchman responded by switching Farfan to partner Kuranyi up front. And though the Peru international pulled one back for the Royal Blues with ten minutes left, that was all they had in their armoury.

The performance, as Rutten attested, "wasn't a great one". Not only that, the defeat was "a serious blow". One that leaves the Royal Blues even further away from a place in Europe. But Rutten hasn't given up yet. "There are still another nine games left. We aren't simply going to toss them away", he said defiantly. Schalke now have two weeks without a game due to the international break, and that suits the Dutchman going into the run-in: "It may be good thing that a lot of players are joining up with their national teams. It will allow them to get things off their minds."

Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Höwedes, Krstajic, Kobiashvili (Pander 78') - Jones - Westermann, Rakitic (Altintop 60') - Farfan, Kuranyi, Sanchez
Hamburg: Rost - Demel (Boateng 52'), Gravgaard, Mathijsen, Aogo - Alex Silva (Benjamin 41'), Tavares - Pitroipa, Jarolim, Jansen – Guerrero
Referee: Drees (Mainz)
Goals: 0-1 Guerrero (70'), 0-2 Guerrero (75'), 1-2 Farfan (80')
Attendance: 61,673 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Jones (5/3), Farfan (4) - Aogo (2), Rost (2)