week 6 - match preview
Slomka targets Champions League progress
It is a situation everyone in the Schalke camp would have wished for at the beginning of the group phase in the Champions League: the Royal Blues have it in their own hands to qualify for the first knockout round for the first time ever by beating Rosenborg at home in their final game on Tuesday evening.
"Our 99th match in European competition is a special one for us", says head coach Mirko Slomka. "To reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time would give both team and club a massive boost as far as our development is concerned." The Schalke boss is therefore 100% certain his players will be "hugely motivated and focused" when they take the field on Tuesday.
"We have to play with the kind of passion we showed against Chelsea", said Slomka about the expectations he has of his players. "That was one of our best games this season. We need a repeat of that performance and we have to take our chances as well. If we do, we can beat Rosenborg a second time."
One thing his team must not do, however, is "charge forward like headless chickens". It was important to keep a cool head, he said, keenly aware of the qualities the Norwegians possess. "Rosenborg are especially dangerous from set pieces", he explained, referring to the strike pairing of Steffen Iversen and Yssouf Koné, who scored three of the four goals in their side's two wins over Valencia.
Slomka does not feel his team are favourites. "It's a genuine cup final for both sides. We may have a slight advantage due to the fact that we're playing at home." The Norwegians played their last game of the league season five weeks ago, but the Schalke boss was unclear whether this was an advantage or a disadvantage. On the one hand Rosenborg were able to travel to Germany last Friday and have thus been able to acclimatise to the conditions. "They've definitely had more rest than we have", said Slomka. On the other, however, they lack match practice and also lost 4-0 at home to Chelsea last time out on 24 November: "That was a big blow for them. They haven't had a competitive game since then, while we're in full flow.
A win would give Schalke eight points and see them move past Rosenborg into second place. If the Royal Blues lose or draw, however, they would have to rely on Chelsea getting a result against Valencia in order to at least qualify for the UEFA Cup.
There has been good news and bad news for the Schalke boss in the run-up to the game. While Christian Pander is out with another medial ligament tear, Levan Kobiashvili returns to the squad after a lengthy injury layoff. Jermaine Jones (suspended), Gustavo Varela (muscle strain), Mathias Abel (cruciate ligament tear) and Markus Heppke (shoulder injury) are all ruled out, however.
