Quarter-final: Schalke - Sofia Report
Schalke to meet Sevilla in semi-final after 1-1 draw with Levski!
Schalke: Rost - Rafinha, Bordon, Rodriguez, Kobiashvili - Poulsen, Bajramovic - Lincoln (Azaouagh 85') - Asamoah (Altintop 74'), Kuranyi (Sand 79'), Larsen
Sofia: Petkov - Milanov, Christov (Bukarev 5'), Tomasic, Wagner - Borimirov, Stanislav Angelov - Emil Angelov, Ivanov (Telkijeski 65'), Koprivarov (Yovov 62') - Domovchiyski
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
Goals: 0-1 Emil Angelov (24'), 1:1 Lincoln (58')
Attendance: 52,973
Yellow cards: Bajramovic - Koprivarov, Bukarev, Domovchiyski
FC Schalke 04 (0) 1-1 (1) Levski Sofia
Schalke are back in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup! A 1-1 draw in the second leg against Levski Sofia at the VELTINS Arena saw the Royal Blues into the last four. After Emil Angelov had given the visitors the lead Lincoln restored parity to reserve his side a meeting with FC Sevilla on 20 and 27 April.
But on 24 minutes Schalke were caught cold. In a phase in which Levski were allowed time and space to knock the ball around Veleri Domovchiyski skipped past Levan Kobiashvili in the penalty area and showed great vision to cut the ball back from the by-line to Angelov, who netted with a low shot from six metres.
After the interval the Royal Blues stepped up the pressure in search of an equaliser. The first opening was carved out by Lincoln, who on winning possession slipped the ball down the channel to Kuranyi. After outpacing his marker, however, the Germany international was unable to steer his shot past the advancing Petkov. But when the two Schalke players swapped roles three minutes later, it worked a treat. Larsen flicked on Kobiashvili's throw-in to Kuranyi, who immediately fed Lincoln. And the Brazilian cleverly shrugged off his markers to turn quickly and fire the ball into the bottom-right hand corner from close range.
The goal calmed a lot of Schalke nerves. While Levski continued to play intelligently, they did not throw everyone forward, preferring instead to wait for a chance to strike. And one arrived on 72 when Lucio Wagner found Domovchiyski with an angled free-kick from the left. But Kuranyi got in a block to turn the 20-year-old's shot away for a corner. The intervention proved equally as important as Kobiashvili's from Angelov's header four minutes later, which allowed Rost to step in and clear the danger.
Yet the Royal Blues also had two chances of their own to grab the winner. From a corner Larsen knocked the ball down for Christian Poulsen in space ten metres from goal, but his shot sailed over the bar. And when substitute Ebbe Sand wriggled his way through the Levski defence, Larsen was able to fire a shot off and Petkov could only gather the ball at the second attempt. Schalke then saw the rest of the game out comfortably to reach the semi-final of a European competition for the third time after 1970 and 1997.
It soon became clear the visitors had not given up hope. Their first major chance fell to Emil Angelov, who beat goalkeeper Frank Rost to a long pass forward, only to lob the ball narrowly to the left of the empty goal. This was the warning signal the Royal Blues needed to step up their attacking efforts. Gerald Asamoah powered his way to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Kevin Kuranyi, whose bouncing header was saved by Levski keeper Georgi Petkov. Sixty seconds later Larsen's header from a Lincoln corner flew just in front of Darío Rodriguez and past the right-hand upright.
