Group stage: Schalke - Milan Report
Great European night sees Schalke earn 2-2 draw with Milan
Schalke: Rost - Rafinha, Bordon, Rodriguez, Krstajic - Ernst (Altintop 68'), Poulsen (Bajramovic 85'), Kobiashvili - Lincoln - Kuranyi (Sand 74'), Larsen
Coach: Rangnick
AC Milan: Dida - Cafu (Stam 77'), Nesta, Maldini, Kaladze - Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf - Kaka (Rui Costa 74') - Gilardino (Vieri 72'), Shevchenko
Coach: Ancelotti
Goals: 0-1 Seedorf (1'), 1-1 Larsen (3'), 1-2 Shevchenko (59'), 2-2 Altintop (70')
Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)
Attendance: 53,425
Yellow cards: Poulsen - Kaka
FC Schalke 04 (1) 2 - 2 (1) AC Milan
It was an evening that everyone connected with Schalke will rave about for long to come. Despite twice going behind, the Royal Blues took a 2-2 draw off strong favourites AC Milan in their first home game in the UEFA Champions League at the VELTINS Arena thanks to goals from Sören Larsen and Hamit Altintop – and even had chances to win.
But with not even three minutes on the clock the Royal Blues drew level. Following a long throw-in by Fabian Ernst, Christian Poulsen and Kevin Kuranyi showed great determination in winning two aerial challenges and the ball fell at the feet of Lincoln. His cross took a deflection off a Milan defender and landed straight on the head of the unmarked Sören Larsen, who had no trouble directing the ball past Brazil keeper Dida from five metres.
After this explosive start the game developed into an exciting affair in which the visitors exhibited brilliant ball control, while Ralf Rangnick's men not only held their own with a great battling display, but also showed that playing direct football can bring results. In the 13th minute Mladen Krstajic put Levan Kobiashvili through on the left, and Kevin Kuranyi headed the Georgian's precise cross just inches past the post, with Dida reduced to looking on.
Schalke were presented with another great opportunity on 33 when a long ball put Kuranyi in the clear. But as the Germany striker waited for the ball to come down, Nesta was able to get in an adept challenge, eventually forcing Kuranyi to shoot wide of the goal. Then, four minutes later, Lincoln missed the target with a 25-metre free-kick.
The Royal Blues continued to play with great courage after the interval. This was the phase in which the general feeling inside the stadium was that the game would swing in their favour. Schalke fought tenaciously for every ball, winning tackle after tackle to the thunderous applause of the crowd. And yet it was the visitors who took the lead again in the 59th minute. Paolo Maldini powered his way down the left-hand side before firing in a peach of a cross that Shevchenko headed into the right-hand corner of the net from close range
Though the Royal Blues were stunned by the goal, it wasn't a knockout blow, and they soon rallied in an attempt to get back into the game. And on 70 minutes they did so when Hamit Altintop, who had just come on as a substitute, smashed a hit-and-hope shot from 30 metres into the net to send the VELTINS Arena crowd into raptures!
And Schalke weren't finished yet. Within a minute Kuranyi headed a Lincoln free-kick narrowly wide, but then the new dad was forced to retire by cramp. He was replaced by Ebbe Sand, who with virtually his first touch hit a great left-foot cross to Sören Larsen, who headed the ball back in the direction it had come from, only to see Dida deny Schalke a third with a world-class save.
As soon as the stadium gates opened it was clear that this was going to be a very special match. The fans were stoking up the atmosphere long before kick-off – and the action erupted from nought to sixty straight from the opening whistle. Exactly one Schalke player – Rafinha – had touched the ball when the visitors took the lead after just twenty seconds. Clarence Seedorf created space for himself by playing a one-two with Andriy Shevchenko and then took Frank Rost by surprise with a 25-metre shot that bounced just in front of the keeper before finding its way into the net.
