Tactical Analysis: Schalke v. Stuttgart

By: Johnny on the Spot | February 5th, 2008

I don’t know who had the worse game for Stuttgart. Andreas Beck slotted in on the right and was called for two hand balls that led to goals off the subsequent free-kicks. Rafael Schafer was shaky throughout the match and bobbled a ball that led directly to the second goal by Kevin Kuranyi, who poached it while on the ground. Caprian Marica was so non-existent in the game, that it took his one touch of the game to remind anyone he was playing. Roberto Hilbert, playing on a razor’s edge, should have been given a second yellow at the end of the first half, but even with the leniency was replaced at half by Armin Veh to avoid the situation happening again in the second half.

But I guess, if I was forced to choose, it would be the central pairing of Thomas Hitzlesperger and Yildiray Basturk, who were so completely overpowered by Jermaine Jones and Fabian Ernst that Stuttgart was essentially playing without the benefit of the middle of the pitch. It was this mismatch in the center of the park that provided the reason for Schalke’s dismantling of the reigning champions. Schalke had a complete attack, flowing equally through the middle and down the wings with nobody to protect their back line; whereas, when Stuttgart came forward Ernst or Jones were always there to break up play. Bufffering their defense, the two denied Stuttgart the ability to deploy their passing game to get the ball forward. Stuttgart was reduced to two real chances the entire match. Their only goal came off a smartly taken free kick by Antonio da Silva, who caught Manuel Neuer off his line, organizing his wall.

For Schalke, Heiko Westermann proved his midweek call-up was well-deserved, by having a Man of the Match performance. He completely closed down the left side of the Royal Blues defense, which helped force the ball into the center, where Jones and Ernst were waiting to take apart any semblance of an attack by the Swabians. Going forward, Westermann caused endless headaches for Hilbert and Beck and scored the third goal on a set piece. The center-half, who has moved over to fill in for the oft-injured Christian Pander, will cause a pleasant headache for Mirko Slomka when the young back returns, as Westermann is too good to sit, whether it is on the left or in the center.

In the final moments of the game, new boys Vicente Sanchez and Ze Roberto came on and showed a quick glimpse of the new depth the Gelsenkirchen side now has when they linked with Ernst to create the final goal. Both looked ready for the challenge ahead in the second half of the season.

While Schalke has now won nine straight second season openers on the trot, it was the manner in which they took apart the champion’s, who had been on impressive form pre winter break, that announces that the perennial chokers might be ready to make an assault on Bremen and F.C. Bayern at the top. And if they can replicate this form against Porto, Germany should have a representative in the final eight of the Champion’s League.