After a laughable opening match against PSG in which the hapless Ligue 1 lost 3-1 at Veltins-Arena, die Königsblauen face Racing Santander in Spain. It's been a tough start to the La Liga season for Juan Ramón López Muñiz' club and their opening UEFA Cup match against Dutch club FC Twente didn't make it any easier for their advancement hopes as they lost 1-0 and were completely out-played. However while they sit near the bottom of the league table, their performances have shown signs of improvement and this past weekend they shocked Valencia 4-2 with a three goal effort by Mohammed Tchité. As Fred Rutten goes forward in this match they should expect an intense performance by the Spanish side as they will look to rescue their pride in front of their supporters. Equally he knows Racing Santander has plenty of quality and cannot be overlooked or they will strike fast. He notes they must be :"100% focused or Santander can score a goal."Since the PSG match, Schalke is undefeated*, without surrendering a goal in three matches. They have shown an opportunistic side with their attacks with Jefferson Farfán, Halil Altıntop and Kevin Kurányi gelling as formidable attacking trio. On the opposite end of the pitch, Mohammed Tchité will need to be marked sternly by Marcelo Bordon, Heiko Westermann and company or he'll cause a multitude of problems in what is likely to be a fast paced, exciting match.
* while the timing of my first blog and the play is interesting to note, I take no credit for the brilliant efforts and the defensive stronghold.
