RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Bundesliga Preview: Schalke – Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke held Hamburg last weekend. Can they do it again against Leverkusen?
Oct 30, 2009 8:45:00 AM
Kick-Off: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 18:30 CET
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
After drawing in recent matches with Hamburg, both Leverkusen and Schalke have another tough test: one another. Will Schalke leap into the top two? Will Leverkusen keep pace with Hamburg? Tune in on Saturday to find out…
Yet Another Test for Magath’s Schalke
After undergoing somewhat of a rough start, Schalke are now among the league’s hottest teams. Coach Felix Magath, once furious with his team’s lack of financial resources, has taken a largely unchanged squad from last year and turned it into a side that truly can be considered among the league’s title contenders.
Having implemented his strict, intense fitness policy at Schalke, Magath’s men are among the league’s most physical sides and it shows. The team’s powerful defenders are unwavering in one-on-one situations, and its forwards have mastered the art of breaking away to score goals.
A spirited showing against Hamburg marked Schalke’s ascent to the league’s elite, even if it only ended in a draw. After going down 2-0 in the first half, Schalke equalized by the 62nd minute. After that point, Schalke had full control, but Hamburg were first to strike. Unfazed, Kevin Kuranyi leveled at the death to save a well-earned point for Schalke.
Now under the microscope for the second time in as many weeks, Schalke look to better last week’s result with a win over Leverkusen. Being without several normal starters, the visitors will likely be cautious, giving Schalke more of the ball. As we saw last week, Schalke are not purely a counter attacking side, and can sustain pressure when in possession. Whether this is feasible against a highly technical Leverkusen team is yet to be decided, but we will see on Saturday.
Leverkusen/Hamburg: Will the Deadlock Ever Break?
It seems that, regardless of fixtures, Hamburg and Leverkusen are destined to remain perpetually level on points. Last week marked a great opportunity for Leverkusen to go clear, but their 1-1 draw with Dortmund was just enough to keep pace with their northern rivals, who drew 3-3 with Schalke. It was Leverkusen’s second consecutive draw, and raised questions of the sustainability of the team’s hold of first place.
Die Werkself have won just two “big” games all season (3-2 v Wolfsburg, 1-0 v Hoffenheim), during both of which coach Juup Heynckes had his full starting line-up (long-term absentee Patrick Helmes notwithstanding) to choose form. Since Renato Augusto sustained a knee injury, Leverkusen have beaten two sides in the relegation struggle, but have drawn their three matches against higher-rated opponents.
Saturday’s match with Schalke may be just another litmus test, but this time a draw may not be acceptable. In addition to Augusto, skipper Simon Rolfes will also be unavailable to anchor the midfield. Deputizing for two of Leverkusen’s most influential figures are Lars Bender and Toni Kroos, aged 20 and 19, respectively. As is often the case with rising stars, the grand stage of Saturday’s match will be seen as a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on Heynckes, and perhaps retain a place in the starting line-up even after Rolfes and Renato Augusto return.
FORM GUIDE
Schalke
28 Oct v 1860 Munich (A) WON 3-0 (DFB Pokal)
25 Oct v Hamburg (H) DREW 3-3 (Bundesliga)
17 Oct v Stuttgart (A) WON 2-1 (Bundesliga)
2 Oct v Frankfurt (H) WON 2-0 (Bundesliga)
26 Sep v Dortmund (A) WON 1-0 (Bundesliga)
Leverkusen
23 Oct v Dortmund (H) DREW 0-0 (Bundesliga)
17 Oct v Hamburg (A) DREW 0-0 (Bundesliga)
3 Oct v Nuernbern (H) WON 4-0 (Bundesliga)
26 Sep v Koeln (A) WON 1-0 (Bundesliga)
23 Sep v Kaiserslautern (A) LOST 2-1 (DFB Pokal)
TEAM NEWS
Schalke
Jermaine Jones, Danny Latza, David Loheider and Pedrag Stevanovic have resumed training, but remain definite absentees. Christian Pander, who suffered serious ligament tears, is also sure to miss Sunday’s encounter.
Possible Starting XI: Neuer – Hoewedes, Zambrano, Bordon, Westermann – Rafinha, Mineiro, Moritz – Farfam – Altintop-, Kuranyi
Leverkusen
Juup Heynckes will be unable to call upon Renato Augusto (fibula), Simon Rolfes, Patrick Helmes, Pierre De Wit (unfit but back to normal training), and Michal Kadlec all of whom have been ruled unfit to play. Heynckes may either choose the 4-4-2 set-up listed below or a 4-2-3-1, in which case Eren Derdiyok may be sacrificed for perhaps Stefan Reinartz.
Possible Starting XI: Adler – Schwaab, Friedrich, Hyypia, Castro – Kroos, Vidal, Bender, Barnetta – Kiessling, Derdiyok
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jefferson Farfan (Schalke)
The Peruvian midfielder has all the makings of a star. Pace, ball control, passing, playmaking and a thunderous shot are all attributes of the ex-PSV man’s game. While Kevin Kuranyi may ultimately be Schalke’s more likely scorer, look for Farfan to be the provider and a goalscoring threat.
Stefan Kiessling (Leverkusen)
Currently joint top scorer with Bremen’s Claudio Pizarro, Kiessling is finally living up to the hype he generated as a youngster. The man touted as the next Juergen Klinsmann is scoreless in his last two matches, both of which ended in draws, and will need a boost in form if Leverkusen are to win on Saturday.
PREDICTION
Leverkusen have been noticeably weaker in the absence of Renato Augusto and Simon Rolfes, and will play defensively in a hostile Gelsenkirchen environment. Their approach will frustrate a Leverkusen side that prefers playing against offensive opponents, and a scoreless draw or 1-0 win for either side is by no means out of the question. All things considered, a 1-1 draw sounds just about right.
Schalke 1-1 Leverkusen
Clark Whitney, Goal.com
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is certainly no Mr. February
The Swedish striker traditionally struggles in February. Facing a three-match ban this month, the jinx looks set to continue.
-
DEMPSEY'S DIARY: Playing in the World Cup was the ultimate dream
In his latest diary entry for Goal.com, the U.S. international and Fulham midfielder talks about playing in his first World Cup despite a back injury and what it meant to score.
-
ROGERS: Capello resigns as coach, but the villain is FA chairman Bernstein
Capello and John Terry are far from blameless in the England saga, but the real culprit is the FA chairman.
-
LABIDOU: Is MLS falling behind? The league's new younger direction
With high-profile players like Nicolas Anelka and Luca Toni rejecting MLS for other developing leagues, is the league falling behind its competition?
-
ROSANO: Mexican soccer needs to address referee treatment
Nick Rosano argues that Mexico's continued officiating problems may have less to do with referees themselves and more to do with how they are treated by the federation.
Advertisement
Advertisement
