Schalke's topsy-turvy season took a new turn with their unlikely 5-2 victory at title-holders Inter Milan which sees the club on the verge of the last four of the Champions League.
Schalke have not quite banished relegation danger in the Bundesliga and are still shaking off a turbulent spell which saw the sacking of coach Felix Magath less than three weeks ago.
Magath had, however, taken Schalke to the final of the German Cup and the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
On Tuesday evening in the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, it was successor Ralf Rangnick who earned the plaudits with a result almost matching the exploits of Schalke's "Eurofighter" team which won the 1997 UEFA Cup in the same stadium - by beating Inter Milan in a penalty shoot-out in the second leg of the final.
"For the spectators it was a fantastic game and for us a terrific evening. The score could have been 10-5 or 8-4," said Rangnick.
The former Hoffenheim coach, in only his second game in charge, was rewarded for an attacking approach against the Italian and European champions.
Rangnick had seen on video how Inter had left room for rivals AC Milan to play in a 3-0 defeat in the Serie A Saturday, and decided to try to exploit the team's unusual defensive vulnerability rather than sit back and attempt to shut their opponents out.
In came Spanish creative midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado, and as a result of injuries defender Joel Matip and Brazilian striker Edu.
After the setback of conceding a goal after 25 seconds from Dejan Stankovic, Schalke twice came from behind, with Matip scoring, Edu notching two and striker Raul and an own goal adding to the tally.
Now Schalke could even afford to lose the second leg in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday by 3-0 or 4-1 and still go through for a semi-final clash against either Chelsea or Manchester United.
"We feel relatively safe but there are still 90 minutes to play, " said keeper Manuel Neuer who described the victory as "a miracle."
In the previous round, Inter recovered from a 1-0 home defeat to eliminate Bayern Munich, but Schalke, Germany's last representative in Europe, seem to have regained the confidence some players lost under Magath and are unlikely to collapse at home.
In interviews with Sport Bild Wednesday, Peru striker Jefferson Farfan and midfielder Jermaine Jones were highly critical of their former coach.
Farfan said there had been a climate of fear under Magath. He was set on leaving the club, but now wished to stay under Rangnick.
"We are laughing again in the dressing room," he said. "The psychological pressure from Magath has gone. There is now joy at Schalke," he said.
Jones said he left the club in the winter break to join Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on loan because of Magath, saying the coach had "destroyed" the team's traditional qualities.
Schalke, 10th in the table, now have to reproduce their cup form in the league. On Saturday, relegation-threatened Wolfsburg - with Magath as coach - are the visitors.
Schalke have not quite banished relegation danger in the Bundesliga and are still shaking off a turbulent spell which saw the sacking of coach Felix Magath less than three weeks ago.
Magath had, however, taken Schalke to the final of the German Cup and the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
On Tuesday evening in the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, it was successor Ralf Rangnick who earned the plaudits with a result almost matching the exploits of Schalke's "Eurofighter" team which won the 1997 UEFA Cup in the same stadium - by beating Inter Milan in a penalty shoot-out in the second leg of the final.
"For the spectators it was a fantastic game and for us a terrific evening. The score could have been 10-5 or 8-4," said Rangnick.
The former Hoffenheim coach, in only his second game in charge, was rewarded for an attacking approach against the Italian and European champions.
Rangnick had seen on video how Inter had left room for rivals AC Milan to play in a 3-0 defeat in the Serie A Saturday, and decided to try to exploit the team's unusual defensive vulnerability rather than sit back and attempt to shut their opponents out.
In came Spanish creative midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado, and as a result of injuries defender Joel Matip and Brazilian striker Edu.
After the setback of conceding a goal after 25 seconds from Dejan Stankovic, Schalke twice came from behind, with Matip scoring, Edu notching two and striker Raul and an own goal adding to the tally.
Now Schalke could even afford to lose the second leg in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday by 3-0 or 4-1 and still go through for a semi-final clash against either Chelsea or Manchester United.
"We feel relatively safe but there are still 90 minutes to play, " said keeper Manuel Neuer who described the victory as "a miracle."
In the previous round, Inter recovered from a 1-0 home defeat to eliminate Bayern Munich, but Schalke, Germany's last representative in Europe, seem to have regained the confidence some players lost under Magath and are unlikely to collapse at home.
In interviews with Sport Bild Wednesday, Peru striker Jefferson Farfan and midfielder Jermaine Jones were highly critical of their former coach.
Farfan said there had been a climate of fear under Magath. He was set on leaving the club, but now wished to stay under Rangnick.
"We are laughing again in the dressing room," he said. "The psychological pressure from Magath has gone. There is now joy at Schalke," he said.
Jones said he left the club in the winter break to join Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on loan because of Magath, saying the coach had "destroyed" the team's traditional qualities.
Schalke, 10th in the table, now have to reproduce their cup form in the league. On Saturday, relegation-threatened Wolfsburg - with Magath as coach - are the visitors.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire