BERLIN (AP) — Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer inspired Schalke to a 0-0 draw at Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
The Schalke keeper showed why he is Germany's No. 1 with saves from the third minute on in the 137th Ruhr Derby.
It was, according to Germany coach Joachim Loew: "Manuel Neuer against Borussia Dortmund."
Dortmund had 66 per cent of possession inside the first 15 minutes, and Schalke players barely touched the ball in the first half.
In the second, Neuer rushed out of his area to block a goalbound shot from substitute Robert Lewandowski, making it back in time to grab Nuri Sahin's attempted lob from distance.
He did enough to distract Mario Goetze late on. The 18-year-old's shot hit the post and drifted wide.
"Dortmund clearly deserved to win," Neuer said. "If it had been a game to my liking, we would have had those chances."
Dortmund increased its lead in the table to 12 points from Bayer Leverkusen, while Schalke climbs to ninth.
"It was a super intensive game in which we were the better side but we didn't win," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. "Of course it's disappointing, but if we keep playing the way we did, we will win games."
Neuer saved from Goetze in the third minute, following a mistake from former Dortmund player Christoph Metzelder, playing for the first time against his former club.
The 24-year-old saved with his feet two minutes later, when Lucas Barrios played a simple pass to Jakub Blaszczykowski, and he had to react quickly to gather an ambitious overhead effort from Sahin moments later.
Anthony Annan, nephew of former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, made his debut for Schalke but — to put it diplomatically — none of the defense could deal with Dortmund's quick passing and off-the-ball running, and the home side should have converted a host of chances.
Neuer saved from Blaszczykowski in the 21st, when he denied the Polish midfielder from point blank.
Kevin Grosskreutz produced a wonderful curling cross minutes later, but Barrios was unable to reach it, and Sahin floated in a free kick which Mats Hummels deflected wide.
Schalke's Raul Gonzalez was incorrectly flagged offside when he raced forward alone in the Dortmund half. Replays showed he was behind the halfway line when the ball was played through.
His strike partner Klass-Jan Huntelaar was shown a yellow card for protesting, and was lucky the referee did not show him another moments later when he handled the ball.
Lukas Schmitz earned the second booking of the game for a cynical foul on Blaszczykowski shortly before halftime, as the visitors showed their frustration.
Barrios blasted the ball over after the break, and he hit the post in the 55th with Neuer beaten, when he should have done better after a cross from Lukasz Piszczek.
Schalke twice went close, first when Raul's cross was just behind Jose Manuel Jurado, and then when Jefferson Farfan deflected a promising cross high and wide.
Neuer denied an effort from Sven Bender, but the home side was restricted to fewer opportunities.
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller's only save was crucial. His outstretched leg denied Jurado when Raul cleverly set him up with a quick free kick.
"We did a lot right. We simply have to score the goals," Hummels said. "It's not a setback. We're playing the best football in the Bundesliga."
The Dortmund defender added: "Nobody would complain if the score had been 3-0."
No comments:
Post a Comment