First round - match preview

Rutten aiming to take positives from Dortmund to Nicosia

Schalke's 2008/2009 UEFA Cup campaign begins with an away game. Fred Rutten's men take on Cypriot side APOEL at the G.S.P. Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off: 1800 CET).

According to the Dutchman the Royal Blues have put their exit from the Champions League behind them and are now focusing on their opening UEFA Cup fixture. "The players are ambitious. We want to go as far as possible in this competition", he said.

The initial target is to qualify for the group stage, which Schalke will do if they go through against APOEL. The reward would be at least another four matches. "That would be important for the club - both from a business and a footballing point of view", emphasised Rutten, especially as far as the younger members of his squad are concerned. "It would allow them to get some valuable match practice at this level."

Schalke scouts have watched APOEL twice, and Rutten has also seen the two qualifying games against Red Star Belgrade. "They are good going forward and are always capable of scoring - if they get the space", the Dutchman said.
APOEL's stand-out player is Marcin Zewlakov, who played for Poland at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea. According to Rutten he is "a very clever player" who is capable of influencing his team's fortunes.

Yet Zewlakov is not the only Pole of special importance for APOEL. Kamil Kosowski, who played for Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga and was a member of the Wisla Krakow side that knocked Schalke out of the UEFA Cup in 2002, is another quality player. Rutten also warned of the threat posed by Dutch defender Joost Broerse, saying: "He has a good left foot and is dangerous with free-kicks."

Nevertheless, the Schalke boss accepts his side are the favourites to go through, though he is well aware of the risks this can bring. "We don't intend to underestimate APOEL and will be totally focused going into the game", he said.

"We need to repeat our performance in the first 65 minutes against Dortmund, when we played some very good football. It's up to us to build on that."

The 45-year-old will be forced to make changes to the back four due to the loss of left-back Christian Pander, who like Jermaine Jones and Fabian Ernst is suspended. Mladen Krstajic operated on the left-hand side in the closing stages against Dortmund, with Benedikt Höwedes partnering Marcelo Bordon in central defence. But this isn't the only alternative open to Rutten. "Levan Kobiashvili did well on the left in pre-season. It's always good to have such options available."

The only place the match can be seen live is Cypriot pay-TV channel Alfa Sport Cyprus. There will be no coverage at all on German television.