Schalke 04 v Benfica - Magath may select same Schalke side - 7M sport

Schalke 04 v Benfica - Magath may select same Schalke side



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Posted Wednesday, September 29, 2010 by PA

Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar is looking to build on his first goal in the Arena AufSchalke by celebrating a first win in the Champions League with the Royal Blues against Benfica.

The Dutch striker has scored in each of Schalke's last two games and now wants his goals to ensure the Gelsenkirchen-based club bounce back from their defeat to Lyon in their first group game by defeating Benfica.

"If we play like we did against Monchengladbach, then I am certain that we can beat Benfica," he told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "We are playing a lot better now than in our previous matches."

Huntelaar would gladly trade his goals for three points on Wednesday night.

"Of course it was great for me to score my first goal in our own stadium, but it would have been a lot better had we won," he added.

His strike partner Raul was equally satisfied and dissatisfied with his first goal in a Schalke shirt on Saturday.

"I am happy and proud to have been able to help my team with a goal, but we must build on it now," he said. "It will be easier for me and the team now I have scored my first goal. That gives me a boost.

"It takes a while for a new team to work well together, but you can see that something is emerging."

The two former Real Madrid strikers were supported by Jose Manuel Jurado on Saturday with Jefferson Farfan on the bench.

Manager Felix Magath is likely to pick the same team, although he has to make a change in defence due to the suspension of Benedikt Howedes.

Former Germany international Frank Fahrenhorst was tested alongside Christoph Metzelder in the back four in training yesterday, with Nicolas Plestan and Kyriakos Papadopoulos the two other possible options.

Benfica arrive having never won a game on German soil, but buoyed by a 1-0 win over Maritimo at the weekend.

Fabio Coentrao scored the decisive goal and the reported Bayern Munich target was rewarded with a new contract.

As the Portuguese club confirmed on their website, the 22-year-old full-back has committed himself to a new deal which expires in 2016, one year later than his previous contract.

As part of the new contract, a clause has been included which means the Portugal international will only be allowed to leave the club for a sum of 30 million euros.

Both sides have made similarly poor starts to their domestic campaigns with Schalke winning only one of their first six matches and Benfica winning three but also losing three of their opening games.



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