Round of 16: Palermo - Schalke Report
Larsen unlucky as Schalke lose 1-0 in Palermo
Schalke 04 will have it all to do next week in the Veltins Arena after losing their UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg 1-0 to a strong Palermo side. Franco Brienza scored the only goal of the game, while Sören Larsen came within inches of an equaliser.
As had already been hinted at in training, Schalke head coach Mirko Slomka had decided to deal differently in Palermo with the absence of playmaker Lincoln, bringing Sören Larsen into the starting line-up in place of Mimoun Azaouagh. The Dane played in attack, with Ebbe Sand taking over the role just behind the front two.
In the first half, the Sicilian team began impressively, confirming Slomka’s view that they would prove tougher opponents than Espanyol had in the previous round. Lining up with a 4-3-2-1 formation, they were strong at the back and carved out a series of goal chances in the opening period. They could even have gone ahead as early as the 3rd minute, when a Paul Codrea free-kick presented Giovanni Tedesco with a shooting chance just to the right of goal. His effort from no more than five metres required a reflex save from goalkeeper Frank Rost. Encouraged by this, the home side continued to cause significant problems for Schalke as the half went on.
And in the 15th minute Palermo took a deserved lead. A low Codreas right-wing cross found its way through to Franco Brienza unmarked just six metres out, and his shot into the left corner gave Rost no chance. Moments later, Palermo almost doubled their lead, but after Rost had parried a 14-metre shot from Brienza, Santana hit his follow-up effort wide (18 mins.).
Only then did the Royal Blues start to mount any real attacks, with Sand’s overhead kick flying just wide of the angle of post and bar (21 mins). Schalke were now battling better and winning important tackles all over the pitch. This almost led to the equaliser as Larsen beat Palermo’s keeper Mariano Andujar to a Kobiashvili cross, only for Andrea Barzagli to clear off the line (33 mins). However, the last few minutes of the half belonged once again to the home side. Brienza tested Rost with a shot from twelve metres (41 mins.), and Tedesco headed into the side netting from six metres out (45 mins.).
Mirko Slomka changed things around for the second half, with Sand moving forward into a three-man attack and Bajramovic taking over the position in the hole just behind them. This helped Schalke to keep most of the play in Palermo’s half, enabling them to stop the home side attacking more successfully. On several occasions, Palermo struggled to gain possession, but, apart from one shot by Kobiashvili, Schalke failed for long periods to create any real openings. Palermo, too, were short of chances during this spell, with only Terlizzi’s header that went just wide giving cause for any concern (73 mins.).
Schalke did nevertheless get a great opportunity to equalise, as Larsen’s arcing header surprised Palermo’s keeper Andujar. But he had a slice of luck, as the ball hit the left-hand upright and bounced back into his arms (77 mins.). And as Poulsen (79 mins.) and Bordon with an 85th minute free-kick also missed the target, the score remained as it was and Palermo ran out narrow winners.
