Week 30 - Match report

Fightback in vain as Royal Blues lose 4-2 in Hannover

For the third time this season the Royal Blues went in 2-0 down at half-time. For the third time this season they got the equaliser. That they then still managed to give the game away was as new as it was avoidable. In the end, Schalke left next-to-bottom Hannover 96 with no points.

Having suffering from a cold during the week, Rafinha was forced to start the game on the bench. Carlos Zambrano deputised for him at right-back, while in central defence Heiko Westermann filled in for Marcelo Bordon, who was serving a one-match ban. In the attacking department Hao Junmin was handed his second start of the season on the left.

The Royal Blues took control of the proceedings from the off, while the home side looked to counterattack their way out of the drop zone. Schalke knocked the ball around with aplomb, though without creating any genuine chances, until suddenly they found themselves a goal down even though Hannover had yet to muster a shot on goal. Manuel Schmiedebach's square pass struck Westermann's knee and from there trundled into the Schalke net. It was an unfortunate way to go behind and it had ramifications. Felix Magath's men had been deflected from their game plan, and just twelve minutes later it was abandoned completely. Didier Ya Konan nutmegged both Lukas Schmitz and the onrushing Manuel Neuer from outside the Schalke penalty area and then watched the ball roll into the net to make it 2-0 on 29. "After the first goal we were already totally out of sorts," said Magath. "We showed no desire and failed to put Hannover under pressure. We failed to compensate for the loss of Bordon and Rafinha.

The Schalke boss introduced Rafinha for the second half and saw a completely rejuvenated team launch an onslaught on the home goal. Within 60 seconds the Brazilian had set up a goal for Edu, who slid the ball past 96 keeper Florian Fromlowitz. Rafinha was also involved in his side's second, for it was his cross that led to Jefferson Farfan being upended in the box by Mario Eggimann. Ivan Rakitic converted the penalty to make it 2-2 and an away win looked on the cards. But the Royal Blues undid their own good work. "We were great up until the equaliser. Then we let up unfortunately. We played too many square balls and didn't mount enough pressure," criticised Magath.

To make matters worse, Hannover's brisk counterattacking tactic came off. With ten minutes left substitute Hanno Balitsch dispatched the ball into the top left corner with an unstoppable speculative effort, which forced the Royal Blues to throw even more men forward. But it was the Lower Saxony outfit who had the final say. Ya Konan broke clear to make it 4-2 in time added on and the game was over.

By that time Mirko Slomka was sitting in the stands after being ordered off by referee Peter Gagelmann in the 87th minute. The win saw his team move up into the relegation play-off place, and the former Schalke coach was delighted with his side's refound confidence. "We pulled together as you saw. Everyone fought for each other, the stadium was sold out and then you're happy to go the extra mile," he said.

"Hannover deserved to win. We didn't show the necessary desire either against Bayern or today," said Felix Magath before adding: "But we still have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League. We need to draw a line under today's game. We'll talk about what went wrong and then turn our attention to the Gladbach match."

Hannover: Fromlowitz - Cherundolo, Haggui, Eggimann, Schulz - Schmiedebach (Balitsch 36'), Pinto, Rausch - Elson (Bruggink 84') - Ya Konan, Kone (Chahed 60')
Schalke: Neuer - Zambrano (Rafinha 46'), Höwedes, Westermann, Schmitz - Matip (Edu 30'), Rakitic - Hao, Kluge (Baumjohann 82'), Farfan - Kuranyi
Referee: Gagelmann (Bremen)
Goals: 1-0 Westermann (o.g. 17'), 2-0 Ya Konan (29'), 2-1 Edu (46'), 2-2 Rakitic (pen. 52'), 3-2 Balitsch (80'), 4-2 Ya Konan (90'+2)
Attendance: 49,000 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Ya Konan (4), Schulz (5/2), Cherundolo (5/3), Pinto (5/1) - Schmitz (4)