Sport

Farfan brace helps Schalke progress

SOCCER: Schalke 04 3 Valencia 1: JEFFERSON FARFAN struck twice as Schalke fought back from an early deficit to progress to the…

Thu Mar 10 2011 - 00:00

SOCCER: Schalke 04 3 Valencia 1:JEFFERSON FARFAN struck twice as Schalke fought back from an early deficit to progress to the quarter-finals last night.

Valencia needed just 17 minutes to cancel out Schalke’s away goal when Ricardo Costa headed them in front, but the home side turned things around with two goals either side of half-time.

Farfan drew the hosts level with a brilliant 25-yard free-kick in the 40th minute, then Mario Gavranovic netted seven minutes into the second half with an effort that sneaked in off both posts.

Then, after Valencia had missed a number of chances to get back into the game and Gavranovic had hit the woodwork twice more, Schalke sealed the victory when Farfan netted their third deep into injury-time.

READ MORE

In the eighth minute defender Jeremy Mathieu saw a shot deflected just wide, and then nine minutes later the visitors got themselves in front. Mehmet Topal did well down the left before firing in a fierce cross that Costa did well to head past Manuel Neuer at his near post.

The home side looked set to go into the break trailing but, with five minutes to go they were handed a chance to draw level when they won a free-kick just outside the area. Farfan curled a superb effort into the top corner past Vicente Guaita, who did get a fingertip to the ball.

That was a boost for Schalke, and it got better at the start of the second half as they took the lead.

Guaita could only push a cross down to Farfan inside the area, and although the Valencia goalkeeper managed to save the shot, the ball fell perfectly for Gavranovic, whose effort hit the inside of the near post, rolled across the line and hit the far post as well before going in.

SCHALKE 04: Neuer, Uchida, Howedes, Metzelder, Escudero, Farfan, Kluge (Sarpei 81), Matip (Papadopoulos 60), Jurado (Draxler 76), Raul, Gavranovic. Subs not used: Schober, Edu, Charisteas, Karimi. Booked: Kluge, Escudero, Farfan.

VALENCIA: Guaita, Bruno, Navarro, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu, Banega (Costa 70), Topal, Joaquin, Pablo (Soldado 64), Mata, Aduriz (Oliveira 75). Subs not used: Cesar, Albelda, Vicente, Jordi Alba. Booked: Mathieu.

Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden).