Sport

Schalke relishing home tussle with out-of-form Barcelona

Schalke 04 v Barcelona: SCHALKE 04 have reached the Champions League quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth but after Barcelona…

Tue Apr 01 2008 - 01:00

Schalke 04 v Barcelona:SCHALKE 04 have reached the Champions League quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth but after Barcelona's "shameful" weekend defeat they will feel anything is possible when they host the Catalans tonight.

The Arena AufSchalke is an intimidating place to play at the best of times, so how Barca will react in Gelsenkirchen after their performance against Real Betis on Saturday, when they led 2-0 but ended up losing 3-2, is anyone's guess.

Schalke, Uefa Cup winners in 1997 and appearing in the quarter-finals of the European Cup for the first time since 1958-59, are third in the Bundesliga after three wins and a draw in their last four games.

Barcelona, twice European champions, are also in third place in their league, yet scarcely will they have had such self-doubt before a first leg against second-tier opposition like Schalke.

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"It is difficult to explain what happened," said coach Frank Rijkaard after his team shipped three goals in 15 second-half minutes. "All I can do is apologise to our fans. As a coach I feel ashamed at this result."

Rijkaard's room for manoeuvre is limited given that Ronaldinho is out injured along with Deco and Lionel Messi.

During the group phase Schalke played defensively at home to Valencia and Chelsea and got just a point from the two matches.

They squeaked through with just eight points from their six games and they responded by playing much more adventurously in the opening leg of their tie with Porto, winning it 1-0 and coming through on penalties after losing 1-0 in Portugal.

TONIGHT'S FIXTURES

(7.45 unless stated)

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - Quarter-finals, first legs: AS Roma v Manchester Utd; Schalke 04 v Barcelona.

ENGLISH LEAGUE - Championship: Cardiff v West Brom; Sheffield Wed v Coventry. League One: Carlisle v Nottm Forest; Doncaster v Leeds Utd; Gillingham v Luton. League Two: Barnet v Darlington; Mansfield v Wrexham; Rochdale v Bradford.

SCOTTISH LEAGUE - First Division: Livingston v Queen of South; Partick v Dundee. Second Division: Queens Park v Cowdenbeath. Third Division: Dumbarton v Forfar (7.30).