Round of 32: Schalke - Barcelona Preview
Two-goal lead the target in home leg against Espanyol
On Wednesday evening at the VELTINS Arena FC Schalke 04 enter the competition associated with their greatest European triumph. The Royal Blues will be looking to revive memories of their successful UEFA Cup campaigns when they take on RCD Espanyol from Barcelona (kick-off: at 20.00 CET).
"Our aim is not just to survive one round, but to get through two or three and if possible even further", explained head coach Mirko Slomka at the pre-match media conference. "We're out to show why we got some decent results in the Champions League against some good teams." Having to take part in the UEFA Cup, which the Royal Blues sensationally lifted in 1997, was anything but a taint, he said. "In the Champions League we obviously had the chance to pave the way for a second-place finish by wining in Istanbul. But now the task is for us to assert ourselves on the European stage once again."
The first hurdle along the way is a side currently sitting in fourteenth place in the Spanish Primera Division. But Slomka warned against judging the Catalonians by their recent league results. "I can't agree with anyone who says Espanyol are going through a crisis." The 38-year-old reeled off some figures to justify his opinion: "They have played eleven competitive matches this year, of which they have won six and lost only four – against clubs such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Espanyol are in the semi-final of the Spanish Cup and have a good chance of reaching the final. We would be well advised to take them extremely seriously."
Slomka believes his side will come up against a packed Spanish defence on Wednesday evening: "Espanyol will be well organised at the back, solid and out to avoid conceding a goal from the outset. Our aim is to get a good result for the second leg. If we can come away with a two-goal lead having kept a clean sheet, we'll be very happy."
The Royal Blues will not only be without the injured Darío Rodriguez, Hamit Altintop, Tomasz Waldoch, Tim Hoogland and Christian Pander, but also Levan Kobiashvili, who is suspended. The Georgian may be replaced by a teenager. "I might fall back on Sebastian Boenisch from our under-19 team as left back so we only have to juggle the team in one position", said Slomka. The 19-year-old made a seven-minute appearance in the Bundesliga on Saturday. "I wanted him to get used to the atmosphere created by 60,000 fans. It was a good experience for him."
Slight doubt remains over the fitness of Sören Larsen, who missed training on Monday due to tight adductors, though he did train again on Tuesday.
