Bundesliga: 1899 Hoffenheim 2-0 Schalke 04 – Title contenders eh, Schalke?

On the evidence of this 2-0 defeat against 1899 Hoffenheim, Schalke 04 will not cause much of a stir in their Champions League group this season. Any watching scouts from Olympique Lyonnais, Schalke’s first opponents, will have wondered what all the fuss is about.

Schalke lost seven league games all season in 2009/2010, but a nightmare start has seen Felix Magath’s side lose their opening three games of the new campaign, including a 2-0 loss at Hoffenheim in the Friday night fixture to open Bundesliga matchday 3. Goals from Isaac Vorsah and a Manuel Neuer own goal sealed Schalke’s fate here against a Hoffenheim side that weren’t drastically superior to their guests, but who made the most of a chance in either half to secure victory.

In his second season in charge at Gelsenkirchen, Magath, who does have the air of a mad scientist, has performed major surgery on the playing staff at Schalke. 13 new players have joined the Royal Blues, while 15 have departed either on loan or permanently. And we’re not talking just squad players here – many key components of the team that pushed Bayern Munich all the way in the title race last season have left, including the likes of Kevin Kuranyi, Heiko Westermann, Rafinha and Marcelo Bordon.

Against Hoffenheim the host of personnel changes at the back was marked, with Schalke far from the compact, defensively solid unit they have become renowned for in recent years. 3 of the 4 who started at Hoffenheim are new faces with Rafinha, Bordon and Westermann no longer around, and the uncertainty and nervousness of Schalke’s new back four was telling. Christoph Metzelder was taken off at half time and Hans Sarpei, Nicolas Plestan and Benedikt Höwedes all struggled against Hoffenheim’s front three.

The game started with Schalke on top. Magath’s intense fitness regime is renowned, and Schalke looked easily the more physically imposing of the two sides. Fit and strong, Schalke hemmed Hoffenheim into their own half almost through sheer brute force in the opening 20 minutes.

Their functional style lacks flair however, and this period of domination barely yielded any chances. Klaas Jan Huntelaar came close on his debut with a snapshot in the 10th minute but that was about it. Raul drifted in and out of the game (36 passes, 25 completed). His touch remains as assured as ever, but the clever runs and flicks became more and more sporadic as the game wore on.

By the end, Raul dropped so deep he was playing virtually as an auxiliary defensive midfielder – anything to get a touch of the ball.

In the early part of the game, Hoffenheim’s passing was not quick or intricate enough to worry Schalke, whose rapid pressing and closing down, particularly from Ivan Rakitic and Jermaine Jones, kept the hosts at bay. Hoffenheim lacked enough craft and speed of thought in midfield areas to frustrate Schalke’s hard running, and as such they kept losing possession in midfield.

It seemed only a matter of time before the visitors’ imposing manner paid off. On the sidelines, Ralf Rangnick looked unflustered.

Schalke were strong in midfield, but once Hoffenheim bypassed that area of the pitch the visitors looked far less assured. Metzelder looked lumbering and shaky at right back, while Vedad Ibisevic, Demba Ba and Peniel Mlapa, Hoffenheim’s front three, caused Plestan and Sarpei all kinds of problems. Ibisevic’s runs in between the centre backs provided a constant threat.

When the first goal came however it was via the softest of set pieces. Schalke went to sleep at a short corner in the 37th minute, and Andreas Beck was left unmarked to drift in the simplest of crosses to Isaac Vorsah, who lost his man and powered a header in for his second goal of the season. The early season table toppers were in front.

The second half drifted as a spectacle for large parts. Edu and Metzelder were replaced by Alexander Baumjohann and Joel Matip at half time, but Schalke relied less and less on slow build up play and resorted increasingly to long balls into the danger zone. Huntelaar, who worked hard but drifted between anonymous and dangerous, saw a 59th minute header tipped onto the crossbar by Hoffenheim keeper Tom Starke.

Between the 61st and the 85th minute Schalke came more into the game, averaging 62.3% possession. But again they made little of it. Big money signing Jose Manuel Jurado was thrown on for the last ten minutes in place of the hard-working Rakitic, but the former Spanish Under-21 international’s introduction had little impact. Again in the second period, every time Hoffenheim bypassed Schalke’s midfield they looked like making something happen. Ibisevic and Mlapa were particularly lively.

In the end, Hoffenheim secured the win with the final kick of the game. Sejad Salihovic hit a free kick onto the post in the 92nd minute, and it comically bounced back off Neuer and into the net to make it 2-0.

Creative midfielder Ciprian Deac, signed from CFR Cluj, might help add poise and creativity to Schalke’s midfield once he gets into the team, as well as Jurado who only saw ten minutes here, but it is the defence that will worry Magath. Schalke only conceded 31 goals all season in 09/10 – the joint best defensive record with Bayern. Already they are leaking goals (6 in 3 games) and Metzelder did not look at all happy at right back, which will worry the manager.

Hoffenheim however are flying – 3 wins from 3 games, 9 points, 7 goals scored and 1 conceded. Top of the league.

Players who impressed: Ivan Rakitic (Schalke), Gustavo (Hoffenheim), Vedad Ibisevic (Hoffenheim), Tom Starke (Hoffenheim), Boris Vukcevic (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Schalke)

Must do better: Raul (Schalke), Tobias Weis (Hoffenheim), Christoph Metzelder (Schalke), Nicolas Plestan (Schalke), Christoph Moritz (Schalke)

1899 Hoffenheim, German Bundesliga, German Football, Schalke 04