World Champion Julian Draxler is facing surgery, leading player Kevin-Prince Boateng isn’t fully fit, but one man can be relied upon: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is tasked with seeing Schalke 04 through difficult times with his striking prowess. The Dutchman has goal number 99 in his sights in his 153rd game for the Royal Blues and it could be enough to take them all but into the Champions League knockout stages.
“We go through if we win,” said Huntelaar ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Sporting Lisbon (20:45 CET). “I don’t care how we win, I just hope we get it done.” Schalke are currently heavily reliant on Huntelaar’s goals; he has already bagged seven in all competitions this season. He has scored a goal in each Champions League game so far and he has netted the important opening in both Bundesliga home games under new manager Roberto Di Matteo so far.
Huntelaar: 44 goals in 67 European games
The 31-year-old striker is irreplaceable for Schalke currently. The Royal Blues have already claimed 2 million euros thanks to Huntelaar’s goals in the Champions League group stages. Another 4.5 million euros await if Schalke manage to win against Sporting Lisbon and secure a spot in the knockout stages. If underdogs NK Maribor from Slovenia lose to Chelsea simultaneously, they could still reach second spot mathematically, but it would be extremely unlikely.
It’s not surprising that Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt is doing everything he can to keep Huntelaar at the club, with the Dutchman having bagged an impressive 44 goals in 67 European games, and the striker is keen on the idea: “If we manage to reach an agreement, it should work.”
Schalke need their goalscorer now more than ever, as their injury list continues to grow. Germany international Julian Draxler requires surgery on his right thigh and will be out of action until the winter break. “Julian is extremely important for us. His absence hurts,” said skipper Benedikt Höwedes before jetting off to Lisbon.
Di Matteo: “Our aim is to get a victory”
Di Matteo is missing seven injured players. Kevin-Prince Boateng is recovering from an ankle injury and it is unclear how long he will be able to play. “We have to wait and see how he feels after the final training session,” said Di Matteo. The same applies for Germany international Sidney Sam (muscular problems).
Despite all his injury worries, Di Matteo is hoping that Schalke can seal the deal in Lisbon: “Our aim is to get a victory in Lisbon.” Jens Keller’s successor has put a lot of emphasis on Schalke’s defensive organisation in the Bundesliga, which resulted in some loss of their attacking firepower. “We have the quality to win in Lisbon,” said defensive all-rounder Jan Kirchhoff.
World Champion Julian Draxler is facing surgery, leading player Kevin-Prince Boateng isn’t fully fit, but one man can be relied upon: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is tasked with seeing Schalke 04 through difficult times with his striking prowess. The Dutchman has goal number 99 in his sights in his 153rd game for the Royal Blues and it could be enough to take them all but into the Champions League knockout stages.
“We go through if we win,” said Huntelaar ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Sporting Lisbon (20:45 CET). “I don’t care how we win, I just hope we get it done.” Schalke are currently heavily reliant on Huntelaar’s goals; he has already bagged seven in all competitions this season. He has scored a goal in each Champions League game so far and he has netted the important opening in both Bundesliga home games under new manager Roberto Di Matteo so far.
Huntelaar: 44 goals in 67 European games
The 31-year-old striker is irreplaceable for Schalke currently. The Royal Blues have already claimed 2 million euros thanks to Huntelaar’s goals in the Champions League group stages. Another 4.5 million euros await if Schalke manage to win against Sporting Lisbon and secure a spot in the knockout stages. If underdogs NK Maribor from Slovenia lose to Chelsea simultaneously, they could still reach second spot mathematically, but it would be extremely unlikely.
It’s not surprising that Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt is doing everything he can to keep Huntelaar at the club, with the Dutchman having bagged an impressive 44 goals in 67 European games, and the striker is keen on the idea: “If we manage to reach an agreement, it should work.”
Schalke need their goalscorer now more than ever, as their injury list continues to grow. Germany international Julian Draxler requires surgery on his right thigh and will be out of action until the winter break. “Julian is extremely important for us. His absence hurts,” said skipper Benedikt Höwedes before jetting off to Lisbon.
Di Matteo: “Our aim is to get a victory”
Di Matteo is missing seven injured players. Kevin-Prince Boateng is recovering from an ankle injury and it is unclear how long he will be able to play. “We have to wait and see how he feels after the final training session,” said Di Matteo. The same applies for Germany international Sidney Sam (muscular problems).
Despite all his injury worries, Di Matteo is hoping that Schalke can seal the deal in Lisbon: “Our aim is to get a victory in Lisbon.” Jens Keller’s successor has put a lot of emphasis on Schalke’s defensive organisation in the Bundesliga, which resulted in some loss of their attacking firepower. “We have the quality to win in Lisbon,” said defensive all-rounder Jan Kirchhoff.
