week 2 - match preview

Schalke aiming to take Bundesliga form into Trondheim game

The task facing the Royal Blues on their Champions League outing at Rosenborg on Wednesday is a clear one. "We have to take at least a point because our aim is to finish in second place", emphasised head coach Mirko Slomka.

The 1-0 home defeat to Valencia hasn't made things any easier. "We didn't get off to a good start. So we're highly motivated and know there's plenty left to do if we're to achieve anything in this competition", said Slomka. "It means the pressure's on us."

The same can be said for their opponents, however. Rosenborg coach Knut Torum is under fire from the Norwegian press after a 4-3 defeat left his side languishing in seventh place in the league table. "It remains to be seen whether that will work in our favour, but we need to treat the two competitions separately", said Slomka. "Lots of teams have gone a long way in the Champions League despite failing to meet the expectations at home."

Rosenborg showed they have the potential to do the same when they drew 1-1 at Chelsea on the opening day. "It was an outstanding performance", said Slomka, clearly impressed by the result, though quick to recall the circumstances of the game: "They gave Chelsea lots of chances and took the only one they had. That's also a quality."

Though the Royal Blues have never faced Norwegian opposition before they know all about their opponents. "We've had Rosenborg watched several times and put together some DVD footage for the players", explained Slomka, who has noted Rosenborg's strength when they attack the ball. And even though Stefan Iversen scored all three goals in Sunday's defeat, Slomka knows Rosenborg are far from being a one-man team. "Yssouf Kone and Abdou Traore are very interesting players, too", the Schalke boss said. "We have to be clear that they have quality throughout the team."

Schalke will be hoping to build on the developments of recent weeks despite the latest injuries to Halil Altintop and Levan Kobiashvili. "Nine points from three matches in six days show our play is improving all the time and we have a great axis, from goalkeeper Neuer through Bordon and Ernst and on to Kuranyi", added Slomka. "That's what makes our team stand out, along with the dynamic football they play. Now we have to take our Bundesliga form into the Rosenborg game."

A question mark remains over the left-back position, however. With Pander and Kobiashvili injured and Rodriguez in Uruguay for personal reasons, much is pointing to Benedikt Höwedes making his senior debut. "It's certainly a possibility, especially as it would be a good time to give him his first run-out. Benny is still at school studying for his final examinations, but he's on autumn break at the moment and has therefore been able to concentrate on his football", said Slomka. "He'll definitely be one of the next talented young players to make the breakthrough in Schalke." No decision has been taken yet, though. "There are one or two other options", explained Slomka. But on the eve of the game he was keeping them to himself.