week 29 - match preview
Schalke in fighting mood ahead of Bayern trip
"We're going there to get a result", promised Mike Büskens of Schalke's coaching triumvirate ahead of the Bundesliga visit to Bayern Munich on Saturday (1530 CET). The Royal Blues are looking to extend a winning run which has seen them take nine points from their last three matches, scoring eight goals to none in reply.
They may have garnered just one point at the Allianz Arena since it opened in 2005, but that doesn't concern Büskens. "It's about the here and now", said the Schalke coach, without losing any respect for the quality in the Bayern side. "In terms of ability they rank above every other team in Germany", he continued.
Jürgen Klinsmann's men have not always been at their best in recent weeks, but Büskens doesn't believe Bayern are on the ropes. "They beat Frankfurt 4-0 and thrashed Sporting Lisbon twice, so that tells you all you need to know. We'll need to have our wits about us and keep them as far away from our goal as possible."
Büskens has identified two particular threats to his team. "Luca Toni is a top penalty-box striker and everyone knows how good Franck Ribery is. You have to double up against him in order to keep him quiet and win the one-against ones", he said. One positive note in this respect is that the Royal Blues top the Bundesliga rankings over the last three weeks when it comes to the number of tackles won, with a success rate of almost 55 percent.
Büskens and his fellow coaching colleagues Youri Mulder and Oliver Reck have already come up with a plan of action for Saturday's match. "We need to stay tight, close down the spaces and switch quickly from defence to attack", he explained. "And obviously we have to take any chances that come our way, something we've done very well in the last three games.
"Some experts may be saying that you have to beat teams like Bielefeld, Karlsruhe and Cottbus, but there's always a lot to lose in games like those. We're now simply trying to do our job, week in, week out. And then we'll see where that puts us at the end of the season."
