Schalke 04 2 (45' Raul, 36' (2h) Howedes) v Inter 1 (4' (2h) Motta)
Champions League / Wed Apr 13 2011 20:45 / Veltins-Arena - Gelsenkirchen
referee: Damir Skomina / assistant refs: P. Arhar M. Stancin / 4th official: S. Vincic
CL Schalke 04 2-1 Inter: Thanks just the same
GELSENKIRCHEN – The match between Schalke 04 and Inter ended 2-1 at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League. Inter's comeback wasn't to be, and Raul's goal at the 45th minute seemed like a cruel joke to Leonardo's team, which had clearly dominated the first half. Hopes were rekindled by Thiago Motta in the 49th minute when he stabbed the ball into the net from Lucio's flicked-on header to make it 1-1. Then in the 81st minute Schalke doubled their lead when Howedes beat Julio Cesar and extinguished the comeback dream. And like so, Inter's European adventure came to an end, among sweat-soaked jerseys, bewildered looks and the endless applause of all the fans present in Gelsenkirchen.
FIRST HALF - Inter came on to the pitch in this semi-final with four goals needing to be scored, and Sneijder, Milito and Eto'o were the attackers chosen for this particular task against Schalke. Leonardo selected Nagatomo as left-back, with Zanetti in midfield and Thiago Motta preferred to Cambiasso in front of the defence, in which Lucio could once again be found.
The first corner of the match was for the Germans, earned by Jurado, and taken by Raul at the 3rd minute. However, the Nerazzurri were the first to have a shot on goal when Sneijder's right-footed effort at the 5th minute was blocked by Neuer.
An all-Japanese battle between Nagatomo and Uchida saw the Nerazzurri full-back get the upper hand in the 7th minute on an enterprising manoeuvre with Eto'o. Shortly afterwards Inter won their first corner kick, which was headed over the bar by Thiago Motta. Around the 17th minute Raul began to inspire the Schalke attack, first when he forced a diving save from Julio Cesar from Jurado's cross, then again when he burst into the box, only to be expertly closed down by Nagatomo. In the 20th minute Edu took a free kick that was cleared from danger by Thiago Motta. In the 23rd minute Inter earned a series of corners but had nothing to show for it, other than a foul by Eto'o on Neuer.
The German 'keeper was then called upon in the 28th minute to block Nagatomo's cross from the left with Milito lurking. The Argentine attacker then latched on to a long vertical pass from Lucio, but Howedes intervened to clear up the threat. Stankovic's goal from the first leg was chosen by UEFA as the best of the quarter-finals, and it almost looked as if he were going to respond with another long-range gem this evening, but Neuer managed to palm away his vicious shot for a corner. In the 39th minute the Serb released Maicon with a vertical pass that left the Brazilian one-on-one with the Schalke 'keeper, but the controlling touch wasn't perfect and the ball finished wide of the post. Inter were now dominating at this point, but Schalke were the first get onto the scoreboard; Baumjohann touched a forward pass into space for Raul in the 45th minute and the Spaniard dribbled around Julio Cesar to deposit the ball into the empty net to make it 1-0.
One minute of injury time was added and then both sides entered the dressing rooms; Inter had the better of the possession, but the Germans had the goal.
SECOND HALF - The situation was complicated, and so Leonardo sent on Pandev in place of Stankovic, thus fielding a 4-2-3-1. Inter's equaliser arrived courtesy of Thiago Motta; Sneijder's corner found the head of Lucio and was then sent on to the Italo-Brazilian who, from the middle of a scrum, put the ball in the net to bring the score to 1-1. In the 54th minute Julio Cesar dived to intercept Baumjohann's dangerous cross. Five minutes later Howedes scored from Jurado's cross (flicked on by Edu) but the goal was disallowed for offside. Inter did not give up, and in the 62nd minute Sneijder crossed for Eto'o, but the Cameroonian sent his header high over the crossbar.
In the 68th minute Milito volleyed on the turn from Eto's long pass only to see his shot sail wide, and then seven minutes later Sneijder's free kick grazed the post. Schalke continued to advance; on a counterattack Raul lobbed a pass forward into space for a rampaging Howedes, and his crisp shot gave Julio Cesar no chance. 2-1. After a minute of injury time referee Skomina whistled to end the match. It was supposed to be an impossible task, and so it was. Yet it is also impossible to forget everything that the exiting European Champions gave us when they reconquered a trophy that had been awaited for so many years.
Schalke 04 2-1 Inter (HT: 1-0, AGG: 7-3)
Scorers: Raul 45, Thiago Motta 49, Howedes 81.
Schalke 04: 1 Neuer; 22 Uchida, 21 Metzelder, 4 Howedes, 2 Sarpei; 11 Baumjohann (31 Draxler, 73), 32 Matip, 14 Papadopoulos, 18 Jurado (13 Schmitz, 87); 7 Raul, 9 Edu (15 Charisteas, 77)
Unused subs: 33 Schober, 5 Plestan, 8 Hao, 16 Karimi.
Coach: Ralf Rangnick
Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 15 Ranocchia, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 8 Thiago Motta, 5 Stankovic (27 Pandev, 46); 10 Sneijder (29 Coutinho, 80), 22 Milito, 9 Eto'o.
Unused subs: 12 Castellazzi, 2 Cordoba, 14 Kharja, 19 Cambiasso, 23 Materazzi, 29 Coutinho.
Coach: Leonardo
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slo)
Booked: Lucio 30, Raul 43, Thiago Motta 58, Papadopoulos 66, Schmitz 87, Ranocchia 90.
Injury time: 1 + 1 minutes.
Credit: Internazionale Milano (www.inter.it)
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