Second-half improvement not enough against Bayern
20.07.2009
The Royal Blues slipped to defeat against Bayern Munich in the third-place play-off of the T-Home Cup in front of 38,820 spectators at the VELTINS Arena on Sunday. Bayern won by two goals to one thanks to a 13th minute Breno strike and an own goal by Benedikt Höwedes on 26. Halil Altintop got Schalke's goal a minute before half-time.
After a bright start in which both team were keen in the tackle and closed the ball down quickly the Munich side soon began to dominate the play. "We were unable to control the game and allowed our opponents too much space", criticised head coach Felix Magath. "That led automatically to chances and goals for Bayern."
Alexander Baumjohann created the first opening on 11 minutes with a through pass to Ivica Olic, who took aim just outside the goal area but screwed his shot wide. Just two minutes later, however, Manuel Neuer was picking the ball out of the net. Hamit Altintop won the ball on the right-hand touchline and sent Diego Contento clear down the flank. The German-Italian delivered a centre into the penalty area, where Jan Moravek's attempted clearance fell straight to the feet of Breno, who wasted no time in firing the ball past Neuer from close range to give his side the lead.
Bayern continued to apply the pressure as the half wore on, though their final pass lacked the killer edge. Then, with 26 minutes gone, Hamit Altintop spread the play out wide to Olic on the left, who dispatched a square ball into the Schalke box. With Baumjohann waiting to pounce, Benedikt Höwedes stretched out a leg in an attempt to knock the ball out for a corner, only to see it fly into his own net.
Just three minutes later Schalke halved the deficit from a set piece. Jefferson Farfan curled in a corner from the left-hand side straight to the unmarked Halil Altintop, who headed the ball past Michael Rensing from close range.
"In the second half we were much better. We were more compact and didn't give Bayern as much space", said Magath after the final whistle. There was a shock for the Royal Blues at the beginning of the second period when Ivan Rakitic, who had only been on a few minutes, stayed down injured after a challenge involving Andreas Görlitz and had to be replaced by youngster Predrag Stevanovic. "Ivan has been taken to hospital for an examination. We think it's a ligament injury and will have to see how bad it is", said Magath.
Stevanovic made an immediate impact, unleashing a low shot from outside the area that went just wide of the right-hand upright. The match began to heat up, but the Royal Blues did most of the attacking. "We tried to develop something going forward, but it's the wrong time for attacking highlights because the players still have some way to go in terms of fitness", the Schalke boss explained.
After sprinting out of his goal to beat Thomas Müller to Baumjohann's through ball, Manuel Neuer launched an attack by Altintop on 46. The Turkey international went for goal from the edge of the penalty area, but Breno was able to get a block in.
Schalke continued to push forward and won a number of set pieces. In the 52nd minute Levan Kobiashvili forced Rensing to punch clear with a crisp drive from distance after a corner from the right. Four minutes later Kevin Kuranyi won an aerial challenge to meet Farfan's free-kick from close to the left-hand corner flag, but his header flew just over the Bayern bar. The final action of the game was a Hamit Altintop piledriver from 25 metres that Neuer punched away for a corner. It therefore stayed at 2-1 to Bayern, a result which gave the visitors third place in the T-Home Cup.
Schalke: Neuer - Moravek, Zambrano, Höwedes (Rafinha 31'), Kobiashvili – Latza, Westermann, Farfan, Holtby (Rakitic 31'/Stevanovic 36') – Kuranyi, Altintop
Bayern: Rensing – Görlitz, Lell, Breno, Contento (Pranjic 31') – Altintop, Ottl, Baumjohann, Borowski – Müller, Olic
Goals: 0-1 Breno (13'), 0-2 Höwedes (o.g. 26'), 1-2 Altintop (29')
Yellow cards: Görlitz, Breno
Attendance: 38,820
