week 8 - match report
Schalke secure deserved 1-1 draw in Hamburg
An improved performance after the break earned Schalke 04 a 1-1 draw at Hamburg SV on Sunday evening. "A draw against the league leaders is a result I can live with", said head coach Fred Rutten after the game.
Anyone who expected a cautious start to this top-of-the-table clash was in for a surprise. The home side began at a high tempo and put the Royal Blues, for whom Fabian Ernst returned from suspension in midfield and Heiko Westermann switched to left-back, under pressure from the off. Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer was twice called into action in the opening ten minutes, saving excellently against Olic and Pitroipa.
At the other end former Schalke stopper Frank Rost was equally impressive in keeping out Altintop's tenth-minute effort and was then quick to narrow the angle when Jefferson Farfan popped up unmarked in the box on 12. But instead of shooting the Peru striker elected to square the ball to Kuranyi, only to misdirect his pass. The game continued at a lively pace, even though both sides were now restricted to occasional, albeit dangerous efforts from distance.
"Hamburg were better in the first half", said Rutten, expressing a view shared by most observers. The home side went in at half-time a goal to the good thanks to some excellent pressing play. David Jarolim took advantage of a misplaced pass to set up Piotr Trochowski, who left Neuer no chance with a shot from 15 metres.
Schalke's cause wasn't helped when Mladen Krstajic failed to reappear for the second half after picking up a knock. But replacement Benedikt Höwedes could hardly have made a better start to his evening, heading the equaliser, his first goal in the Bundesliga, from a Farfan free-kick just three minutes after the restart. "Both goalscorers will have been spurred on by the success they enjoyed at international level on Wednesday", said general manager Andreas Müller in a reference to Trochowski's winner for Germany against Wales and the last-minute strike by Höwedes that ensured Germany's U21 side booked their ticket for the European Championship in Sweden.
The equaliser may have come early, but it was no coincidence. "At the beginning of the second half we increased the tempo. Our performance from then on was something approaching what we are capable of and indeed need to produce", explained Rutten. The game continued to be an entertaining contest for much of the second half. Pitroipa almost restored Hamburg's lead within moments of the equaliser, and then Rost reacted superbly to keep out a deflected shot by Jermaine Jones. "We played very well in the second half, though we did enjoy a bit of luck in one situation", said Müller, referring to the 64th minute opportunity for Mladen Petric, who hit the post from close range soon after being introduced as a substitute. Apart from this Hamburg's Bastian Reinhardt denied Gerald Asamoah with a last-ditch tackle on 69, while Neuer capped a superb display in saving a Trochowski blockbuster ten minutes later.
"We were confident we would score at some point. After a game like that it's a result I can and must live with", said Rutten. HSV boss Martin Jol took a similar view. "In the second half we didn't put Schalke under as much pressure, although we still had a few chances to score."
Hamburg: Rost - Demel, Reinhardt, Mathijsen, Atouba - Jarolim, Benjamin - Pitroipa (Torun 86'), Trochowski, Olic - Guerrero (Petric 61')
Schalke: Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic (Höwedes 46'), Westermann - Jones, Ernst - Engelaar - Farfan, Kuranyi (Asamoah 62'), Altintop
Goals: 1-0 Trochowski (29'), 1-1 Höwedes (48')
Referee: Rafati (Hannover)
Attendance: 57,000 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Demel (3), Jarolim (4), Atouba, Benjamin (2) - Rafinha (3), Bordon (2)
