round 2 - match report

Ten-man Schalke crash out of cup

Schalke 04 will have to concentrate solely on the Bundesliga this season after slipping to a 4-2 extra-time defeat at second-division FC Cologne in the second round of the DFB Cup last night. The Royal Blues had come back from 2-0 down at half-time level to the scores, but in the end they were unable to compensate for Zlatan Bajramovic's 69th minute sending-off.

As expected, head coach Mirko Slomka made just one change to the side that beat Hannover 96 on Saturday, fit-again Marcelo Bordon replacing Tim Hoogland in the centre of defence. But the Royal Blues were soon made to realise that, backed by a 50,000 crowd, the side who were relegated from the Bundesliga last year believed they had a chance and were prepared to run their hearts out for it.

It was, of course, unfortunate that Kevin Kuranyi had a goal ruled out for an alleged offside offence, even though the Schalke striker was level (19'). And there was to be more bad luck on 34 minutes when Dario Rodriguez deflected Salvatore Gambino's cross into his own net to give Cologne the lead. The goal had an immediate impact. Less than two minutes later Milovoje Novakovic ran onto a defensive clearance and burst into the box to make it 2-0. It was no more than the home side deserved for their plucky performance, leaving Schalke with a mountain to climb in the second half.

The Royal Blues emerged in the second half looking appropriately determined and the game soon developed into a fast, end-to-end contest. Bajramovic almost pulled one back not long after the restart and Cologne then had two chances to score a decisive third, only for Scherz to miss both. Shortly after, however, substitute Peter Lovenkrands took advantage of a defensive error to make it 2-1 (55'). And in the 75th minute Schalke had luck on their side when Rodriguez atoned for his earlier own goal by heading home a Lincoln free-kick to restore parity. By this time, however, the Royal Blues had been reduced to ten men after an angry Bajramovic had pushed Cabanas to the ground and been summarily dismissed by referee Herbert Fandel (69'). In the closing stages Frank Rost pulled off two fine saves against Gambino (81') and substitute Adel Chihi (84') to take the game into extra-time.

Schalke could have taken the lead on 92, but when Wessels parried Rodriguez's shot, Halil Altintop headed the rebound over the bar from four metres. And at the other end Cologne converted their first chance in 30 minutes to make it 3-2 when Broich popped up unmarked and dispatched a low shot past Rost (98'). The Royal Blues went out in search of a second equaliser, but the one-man disadvantage began to make itself felt, and Chihi added a fourth in the 111th minute to end the game as a contest.
 
Cologne: Wessels - Haas, Mitreski, Alpay, Ehret (Cullmann 100') - Lagerblom - Gambino (Madsen 91'), Broich, Cabanas - Scherz (Chihi 75'), Novakovic
Schalke: Rost - Rafinha (Özil 106'), Bordon (Hoogland 95'), Rodriguez, Krstajic - Bajramovic - Hamit Altintop, Kobiashvili - Lincoln - Kuranyi (Lovenkrands 46'), Halil Altintop
Goals: 1-0 Rodriguez (o.g. 34'), 2-0 Novakovic (36'), 2-1 Lovenkrands (55'), 2-2 Rodriguez (75'), 3-2 Broich (98'), 4-2 Chihi (111')
Attendance: 50,000 (sold out)
Referee: Fandel (Kyllburg)
Yellow cards: Ehret, Novakovic - Rafinha, Rodriguez, Lincoln, Hamit Altintop
Red card: Bajramovic (unsportsmanlike conduct, 69')