Schalke 04 kept up their chase for the Bundesliga runners-up spot with a dominant 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday to move level on points with second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
|Last Updated: Apr 12, 2014, 08:41 AM IST|Source: Reuters
Berlin: Schalke 04 kept up their chase for the Bundesliga runners-up spot with a dominant 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday to move level on points with second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Max Meyer put the hosts ahead in the 59th minute after Sead Kolasinac`s long-range effort hit the woodwork and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, back in the side after injury, had his rebound saved by Kevin Trapp.
Trapp denied the Dutch striker again seven minutes later by saving his penalty but the hosts kept pouring forward in a one-sided affair with Brazil coach Felipe Scolari in the stands of the Auf Schalke arena.
Schalke hit the bar again through Leon Goretzka in the 81st but winger Jefferson Farfan, also returning from injury after a six-week absence, curled a superb free kick into the top corner to seal the win in stoppage time.
"I was not satisfied at all in the first half because we did a lot of things wrong," said Schalke coach Jens Keller, whose future at the club has been the subject of specualtion during a rollercoaster season which has produced a strong finish.
Schalke are unbeaten in seven league games and have won all four of their last home matches.
"I told my players exactly that at half time but after that we improved greatly. A lot of respect for that," Keller told reporters.
As for Huntelaar`s fourth spot-kick miss out of his last six, Keller said: "The chances of him taking another penalty are diminishing."
Schalke have 58 points with four games left, trailing only on goal difference behind Dortmund who travel to champions and bitter rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, who host struggling VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, are 10 points off second spot.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.