Record-Tying Goal Sees Raul, Schalke Take 1-1 Draw Back To Germany

The disturbing part for Schalke is the increased influence Valencia’s midfield - Topal, Ever Banega, and Tino Costa - are having on this match. In the first half, those players were relatively quiet save Costa, who had a moment of danger in the middle of the period. In the second half, both Banega and Topal have been involved in chances, and in creating another flick on chance of Roberto Soldado, Jeremy Mathieu (who assisted on the only goal) continues to be influential down the right.

Approaching the hour mark, Schalke is fortunate to only be down 1-0.

The second half started with a defensive mistake by Schalke, hopefully not a harbinger for their second half against Valencia. A long ball from David Navarro was misplayed by Benedikt Howedes, who chested the ball down and behind him for Aritz Aduriz to run onto. The ball, played back out, turning into a chance for Alejandro Dominguez, his shot ultimately blocked.

The chance was the first of three within two minutes to start the second half. Valencia nearly went two up when Ever Banega played a ball through the six, with Roberto Soldado nearly sliding onto it at the far post. Moments later, a long ball out of Schalke’s end looped over the defense, allowing Raúl to run onto a shot from 18 yards. For the second time today, Vicente Guaita mae a big save, diving to his right to keep the shot out.

Valencia controlled the first 45 minutes at the Estadio Mestalla, and as a reward, the home side has a 1-0 lead over visiting Schalke. The match’s goal came int he 17th minute, with Jeremy Mathieu providing for Roberto Soldado, a near post cross from the left that was redirected past Manuel Neuer.

Schalke’s best chance came early in the half when a ball played back into the Valencia area after a corner kick was headed down for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The Dutch striker had an uncontested shot that he scuffed, the mishit half-volley failing to test Vicente Guaita. Schalke came close to an equalizer mid-way through the half when Peer Kluge nearly headed a corner kick over Guaita only to see the understudy keeper palm the ball against the bar.

Peer Kluge, with a reckless tackle, gave Valencia a dead ball play in the 33rd minute. The restart was in a weird spot, though - the middle of the pitch, about 35 yards out, preventing Valencia from working on the kind of angles you normally see successful set pieces delivered from. But that didn’t prevent Los Che from giving the home crowd a reason to gasp.

Alejandro Domínguez played a ball to the right of Schalke’s wall to a surprisingly open Aritz Aduriz. The Valencia attacker trapped the ball six yards from goal, to Manuel Neuer’s left, before letting go of a sharp angle shot. The attempt went just wide of the near post, high and into the side netting, giving Schalke’s poor defending a reprieve.

Valencia had employed a very left-leaning approach through the match’s early moments, their build-up forced wide by Schalke’s defense. Though the first 16 minutes, entries down Jeremy Mathieu and Alberto Costa’s side has been easily stopped, but one moment of brilliance - chalkboard execution - has given Los Che and early lead. Mathieu, put behind the line by Artiz Aduriz, played a near-post cross for Robeto Soldado, the Valencia strike redirected his side in front.

It was Valencia’s first meaningful chance of the match but one that was easily converted. Uchida got no help from right wing Jefferson Farfán, and as a result had no chance to defend against both Aduriz and Mathieu. When Neuer couldn’t get to the cross, Valencia had an easy and early 1-0 lead.

Unai Emery has started an ambitious lineup, with all of Roberto Soldado, Aritz Aduriz and Alejandro Dominguez in his starting XI, though that may not necessarily lead to more goals. In starting what could be a 4-3-1-2 (with Dominguez leading the midfield), Emery seems to have sacrificed width against a side that could be exploited by it. If Schalke is intent on playing conservatively, Valencia may be playing into their hands.

Whereas before the lineups were announced, I though Valencia had a good chance of getting a 1-0, perhaps even a 2-0, now I wonder if Schalke might get out of the Mestalla with a result, particularly with Jefferson Farfán going up against Jeremy Mathieu.