Schalke 04 vs Hamburger preview - Neustadter wants improvement

Posted Friday, December 19, 2014 by PA

Schalke got the points without the performance against Paderborn on Wednesday night and now they want both to end 2014 on a high when they host Hamburg.

"We got lucky," admitted midfielder Roman Neustadter after his goal helped the Royal Blues to a second straight away win, a victory which keeps them just a point behind third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.

"Now we've got to show a different face against Hamburg and be alert right from the start.

"We've got an extra dose of motivation to be playing this last game of the year at home, above all because we lost our last game at the Arena (AufSchalke)."

That defeat to Cologne was their first at home since Roberto Di Matteo took the reins from Jens Keller.

Opponents Hamburg have won only once away from home since Josef Zinnbauer replaced Mirko Slomka, and that win was just down the road in Dortmund.

A repeat of that result is what Zinnbauer is hoping for this weekend to ensure his side end the year outside of the bottom three.

"We know it's going to be tough, but we had set ourselves the target of having 19 points come the winter break," he said.

"On my Christmas wishlist is a win over Schalke, and anything is possible."

Captain Rafael van der Vaart cannot help them try to obtain that win since he is suspended while Pierre-Michel Lasogga misses out due to injury.

"We've got to see what we can change tactically to cover for them," added Zinnbauer on his club's website. "It's always possible that changes are made after a defeat."

Hamburg were beaten at home by Stuttgart on Tuesday and, with only nine goals scored, they have the bluntest attack in the division and that could be sharpened by 21-year-old Mohamed Gouaida.

"He's a striker by trade, but he can also play wide right or just behind the strikers," said Zinnbauer, who appears to have picked him to fill in for Lasogga.