First genuine test ends in scoreless draw
08.07.2009
After three warm-up games against lower league opposition, the Royal Blues faced their first genuine test on Tuesday evening. The clash between Felix Magath's men and Dutch first division side FC Twente in Meppen ended in a goalless draw. 
In addition to Manuel Neuer and Benedikt Höwedes, who are still on holiday after taking part in the European Under-21 Championship, and the injured Jermaine Jones, Christian Pander and David Loheider, Schalke lost the services of Rafinha just before the game. The Brazil right-back was struggling with a dead leg.
Much of the early action unfolded in midfield. Both teams are in the middle of their pre-season preparations and it showed. As a result, not every pass reached its intended target. The first chance of the game eventually fell to the Eredivisie runners-up with eight minutes gone. Theo Janssen dispatched a right-sided free-kick towards the near post from just outside the area, but goalkeeper Mathias Schober had no trouble punching the ball clear. 
On 23 minutes it was then the turn of the Royal Blues to threaten. After winning possession Jefferson Farfan slipped the ball through to team-mate Halil Altintop, but the Turkey international's shot fizzed inches wide of the right-hand upright. Five minutes later Ivan Rakitic struck a perfectly weighted pass with his right foot to send Farfan clear. The Peruvian advanced to the byline before cutting the ball back into the middle, where Altintop was unable to make contact.
Twente showed signs of life again in the 32rd minute when Wout Brama tried his luck from distance, only to see his shot fly well wide of the right-hand post. And within seconds the Royal Blues had almost taken the lead. A mishit goal kick by Twente keeper Cees Paauwe landed straight at the feet of Rakitic. The Croatia midfielder immediately chipped the ball towards goal, only to see it drop just over the crossbar. The final say in the first half was left to Farfan, whose left-sided free-kick from just outside the area landed on top of the goal.
The pattern remained much the same after the restart, with the majority of the action again taking place in midfield, though this time Twente enjoyed much more of the possession. The Dutch side knocked the ball around nicely but lacked bite in attack, as did Schalke. A set piece on 58 minutes saw Twente craft their first opportunity of the half, Peter Wisgerhof getting on the end of a free-kick just six metres from goal. But the ball rose sharply and cleared Schober's crossbar. With 62 minutes gone Danny Latza dispatched a long ball from a central position to Albert Streit, but Paauwe rushed out of his goal to clear the danger.
Three minutes later Theo Janssen forced Schober into a punched clearance with a bending free-kick from 30 metres. And then Carlos Zambrano had to step in at the near post to head the ball out for a corner after Jeroen Heubach had whipped in a cross from the left-hand side. The Tukkers were now posing a significant threat from set pieces. On 76 Janssen bent in a corner from the right-hand side to the near post. But Levan Kobiashvili had narrowed the angle and cleared the danger before substitute Nikita Rukavytsya could pounce.
Yet Schalke also had their moments in attack. With 78 minutes gone Asamoah cut the ball back to Vicente Sanchez, who diverted it into the path of the advancing Heiko Westermann with a neat backheel. Westermann unleashed a shot from just inside the area, but a defender was able to get a block in. Sanchez threatened again five minutes before the end. The lively striker won possession on the right-hand side and burst into the penalty area, only to shoot wide of the far post from a promising position.
Schalke: Schober – Moravek, Zambrano, Bordon, Kobiashvili –Pliatsikas (Kikuchi 46'/ Holtby 68'), Farfan, Westermann, Rakitic (Latza 46') – Altintop (Yalin 46'/ Streit 52'), Kuranyi (Asamoah 46')
FC Twente: Paauwe – Wellenberg (Bannink 55'), Douglas, Wisgerhof, Kuiper (Heubach 70') – Brama, Perez (Leugers 82'), Janssen – Denneboom (Hersi 68'), N'Kufo (Rukavytsya 73'), Vujicevic (Ortega 70')
Referee: Willenborg (Friesoythe)
Attendance: 7,200
