Schalke defeat Vitesse in final warm-up match
16.01.2012
The Royal Blues are in good shape going into the second half of the season after recording a 2-1 win against Vitesse Arnhem, currently sixth in the Dutch Eredivisie, at the Tivoli stadium in Aachen. Christian Fuchs and Julian Draxler got the goals.
Head coach Huub Stevens made one tactical change compared with the two friendlies in Qatar, moving Joel Matip into midfield and replacing him in central defence with Benedikt Höwedes. Atsuto Uchida started at right-back.
The game was rather scrappy in the opening stages, with most of the play centred on midfield. Schalke's first real chance came after 20 minutes when Raul headed a Fuchs cross wide of the left-hand post. The Royal Blues did open the scoring in the 23rd minute, however. Fuchs burst into the Arnhem box after playing a one-two with Raul and rifled a shot into the top left-hand corner of the net from ten metres. 
Schalke were in complete control from then on and had several opportunities to add to the scoreline, including a long-range effort and a header by Obasi and shots from Höger and Baumjohann towards the end of the half. The only real threat to Lars Unnerstall's goal was a Van der Heijden free-kick from the edge of the penalty area, but the Dutchman's effort flew two metres over the bar.
The second half began at a frantic pace and Schalke soon doubled their lead. Alexander Baumjohann played the ball out left into the path of the onrushing Draxler, who scored with a delightful chip from 22 metres. Vitesse responded immediately, however, substitute Jonathan Reis giving Hildebrand no chance in the Schalke goal on 50 minutes. Minutes later Reis could have bagged a second with a header, but this time Hildebrand pulled off a fine save. At the other end Klaas-Jan Huntelaar nearly added a third for the Royal Blues with a header.
The pace was more subdued for the remainder of the game, although Schalke continued to look the more dangerous in front of goal. Draxler could have scored a second following some clever interplay between Pukki and Marica but was denied at the last minute, and then Marica squandered the final chance of the match after being played clean through on goal by Pukki.
Schalke: Unnerstall, (Hildebrand 46'), Uchida (Hoogland'), Höwedes, Papadopoulos (Metzelder 72'), Fuchs, Höger (Moritz 46'), Matip, Baumjohann (Jurado 62'), Raul (Draxler 46'), Obasi (Marica 62'), Huntelaar (Pukki 62')
Vitesse: Velthuizen, Van der Struijk, Kalas, Van der Heijden, Yasuda (Chanturia 62'), Jenner (Reis 46'), Büttner, Van Ginkel (Havenaar 86'), Aborah, Hofs (Quazaishvili 74'), Pedersen
Goals: 1-0 Fuchs (23'), 2-0 Draxler (48'), 2-1 Reis (50')
Attendance: 3,500
