Group stage: Schalke - Eindhoven Report
3-0 against PSV – Kobi keeps Schalke’s European party going!
Schalke: Rost - Altintop, Bordon, Rodriguez, Krstajic - Poulsen, Ernst - Varela (73 mins. Asamoah), Lincoln, Kobiashvili (89 mins. Bajramovic) - Kuranyi (85 mins. Sand)
Coach: Rangnick
PSV Eindhoven: Gomes - Reiziger (78 mins. Sibon), Ooijer, Alex, Lamey - Afellay, Simons (46 mins. Lucius), Cocu - Farfan, Robert, Aisatti (46 mins. Vennegoor of Hesselink)
Coach: Hiddink
Goals: 1-0 Kobiashvili (18, pen.), 2-0 Kobiashvili (72), 3-0 Kobiashvili (79, pen.)
Referee: Lubos Michel (Slowakei)
Attendance: 53.994
Yellow cards: Bordon, Altintop
Schalke 04 (1) 3 - 0 (0) PSV Eindhoven
Whether Schalke 04 reach the last 16 of the Champions League will not be decided until two weeks’ time in the away game against AC Milan, but one thing is already certain: The Royal Blues are staying in Europe until the spring at least! With their impressive 3-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, they have already guaranteed at least third place in Group E of Europe’s elite. Man of the match was Levan Kobiashvili, who scored all three goals, including two penalties!
Although Schalke initially found it difficult to get into the game against the well-organised visitors, their first successful passing movement led to them taking the lead. Hamit Altintop and Gustavo Varela combined well on the right of the PSV penalty area, and as the Uruguayan played the ball into the centre, Andre Ooijer intercepted it with his hand and referee Lubos Michel pointed to the spot. As Sören Larsen was on the bench and Rafinha suspended, Levan Kobiashvili grabbed the ball and converted the penalty to put Schalke 1-0 up (17 mins).
For a while, the lead looked less than secure. Especially in the 24th minute, when following a free-kick on the right taken by PSV’s Jefferson Farfan, central defender Alex got hold of the ball and sent in a powerful shot that the Schalke defence managed to block before Ernst cleared the danger. Just seconds later, a shot from Robert had to be parried with outstretched fists by Schalke’s keeper Frank Rost, a great reflex save that brought thunderous applause from the home fans.
In the final quarter of an hour of the half, Schalke justified their 1-0 lead, and Lincoln, for one, was unlucky when his shot from 17 metres only hit the right-hand post (40 mins.). After the break, the visitors worked hard in search of an equaliser, but Schalke defended resolutely and apart from a 67th minute header from Philipp Cocu from 12 metres out, which Rost held, did not allow PSV any goal opportunities. A few minutes later, Gustavo Varela seemed to have dribbled his way into a dead end, but Kuranyi got the ball back and Kobiashvili passed to Lincoln, whose brilliant lob from the edge of the penalty area could only be tipped onto the bar by the PSV goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes, as he scampered back. From the rebound, however, Kobiashvili had no trouble shooting home from 4 metres to make it 2-0 (72 mins.).
Ernst then stormed into the Eindhoven penalty area and was brought down by substitute Gerald Sibon, with referee Michel again giving the penalty. Kobiashvili coolly converted his second spot kick to put Schalke 3-0 ahead (79 mins.). Schalke leap-frogged over PSV with this win and are now in second place, behind AC Milan (4-0 victors over Fenerbahce). The Royal Blues now have to travel to Italy for the last fixture. A draw there with a score of less than 3-3 would not be enough to ensure passage into the last 16, if Eindhoven beat Fenerbahce at home.
