In Mainz they go to Zidane

Sergey NIKOLAEV

MATCH TOUR

Schalke 04 - Bayer. From the trip to Wolfsburg, the leader had an unpleasant aftertaste. Firstly, the “blue” interrupted their victorious march, failing to bring to a logical end the successfully developing duel. Secondly, the team lost striker Peter Levenkrands. Due to an ankle injury, the Dane landed in the infirmary for a month and a half. But, despite all the problems, Schalke 04 still has a good mood. A five-point break from the closest pursuer helps optimism. And he will increase in the event of a victory over Bayer. Leverkusentsev recently pursued failure. In addition, they are still deprived of the main goalkeeper Butt, who is serving a two-match suspension for removal in a game with Eintracht. But let's not forget that one of the three defeats this season was caused to the leader by Bayer.

UNEXPECTED INTrigue

Mainz-05 - Nuremberg. Both teams had a great start in the second round, scoring 13 points out of 15 possible. Especially striking is the wonderful transformation of the club from Mainz. From the hopeless outsider who closed the table, he suddenly turned into a respectable middle peasant. “Nuremberg” and in the fall it looked decent, but in an annoying way lost a lot of points in the end of the matches. The team of Hans Meyer successfully fights with an excessive tendency to draw, and the result is obvious.

The Bochum, which is constantly fighting for survival, has particular hopes for Theofanis Gekas. He has 9 goals, two of which are scored in the last round of “Arminia”. The Greek striker, taken for a one-year lease from Panathinaikos, is trying his best. After all, “Bochum” will be able to redeem his transfer only if it remains in the Bundesliga.

“ If in the summer I get an offer to go to one of the top clubs in Europe, I will refuse. Not then I signed a contract with Stuttgart until 2011 to leave after a couple of successful fights. Club trust is more important to me than a lot of money. Even if interest will show my beloved “Barcelona”, she will have to be patient, "- striker" Stuttgart " Mario Gomez.

BEAUTIFUL NUMBERS

4 goals of Mohammed Zidane in the second round matches have become one of the key factors in the rapid jerk of “Mainz-05”. The Egyptian striker, bearing a cult football name, was sorely missed by the club in the fall. Before the inter-circle intermission, Zidane was tormented in the “Bremen”, where only a select few stand the competition in stellar attack. And he decided again to try on the role of the first guy in Mainz, familiar from last season.

February 23rd . Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, 22.30.

Judge: Florian Mayer (Burgdorf).

Injuries: Meira / Shahed, Bashturk, K. Boateng, Lakic, Kagara .

Disqualifications: Pardo / A. Friedrich.

Stuttgart (Sport Today version): Hildebrand - Osorio, Tasci, Delpierre, Magnin - Khedira, Hilbert, Hitzlsperger, A.da Silva - Cacau, Gomez.

Hertha (Sport Today version): Fiedler - J. Boateng, van Buric, Šimunić, Fati - Dardai, Mineiro, Gilberto, Ede - Pantelich, Jimenez.

Last matches: - + + + + / / - - + - -

First round match: 2: 2 (Olimpiyashtadion).

Quotes William Hill: the victory of “Stuttgart” - 1.61, the draw - 3.3, the victory of “Hertha” - 5.

Broadcast: NTV-Plus Football, 22.30 (direct).

24 February. "AVD-Arena", 17.30.

Judge: Herbert Fandel (Killburg).

Injuries: Brdaric, Juric / Kael, Pienar, B. Mayer, Vrzhogich.

Disqualifications: Fahrenhorst / Bzhensk, Dede.

Hannover 96 (Sport Today version): Enke - Cherandolo, Vinicius, Zhurav, Tarnat - Balich, Lala, Rosenthal, Yankov, Husti - Steiner.

Borussia D (Sport Today version): Weidenfeller - F. Degen, Amedik, Metzelder, Kringe - Tinga, Rikken, Sahin, Fry - Smolyarek, Aedo Valdes.

Last matches: - + + = + / + - - - +

First round match: 2: 2 (“Signal-Iduna-Park”).

Quotes William Hill: the victory of “Hanover 96” - 2.15, the draw - 3.1, the victory of “Borussia” - 3.

Mainz-05 - Nuremberg

February 24th . The Bruchwegstadion, 17.30.

Judge: Peter Gagelmann (Bremen).

Injuries: Jovanovic, Sela, Vrančič / Mintal, Kennedy .

Disqualifications: no.

Mainz-05 (Sport Today version): Wache - Demirtas, M. Friedrich, Noweski, Rose - F. Gerber, Andreasen, Azauag, Soto - Ruman, Zidane.

Nuremberg (Sport Today version): Schaefer - D. Reinhardt, Wolf, Bosch, Pinola - Galasek, Mnari, Greshko - Vittek, Schrot, Saenko.

Last matches: + + = + + / + = + + +

First round match: 1: 1 (Easy Credit Stadium).

Quotes William Hill: victory of “Mainz-05” - 2.5 draw - 2.8, victory of “Nuremberg” - 2.75.

24 February. The Stadion der Freundschaft, 17.30.

Judge: Marcus Merck (Otterbach).

Injuries: Skela, Yungnikel, Shekkel, Mitreski / Rau.

Disqualifications: V.da Silva, Zibig / Kauf.

"Energy" (version of "Sport Today"): Piplitsa - Seleshi, Mackenna, Kukelka, Tsvitanovich - T. Rost, Kuntzel, Gunkel, Munteanu - Kiyo, Radu.

“Arminia” (version of “Sport today”): Hein - Korzhinets, Bollmann, Gabriel, Schuler - Kuchera, Marx, Camper, Boehme - Ahanfuf, Vihnyarek.

Last matches: + = = - - / = - - - -

First round match: 1: 3 (Shyuko Arena).

Quotes William Hill: victory of “Energy” - 2.05, draw - 3.1, victory of “Arminia” - 3.2.

24 February. AOL-Arena, 17.30.

Judge: Gunter Perl (Munich).

Injuries: Company. N.de Jong, Benjamin / Jones. Amanatidis, Prell, D. Reinhardt, Tosca.

Disqualifications: no / Spiher.

Hamburg (Sport Today version): F. Rost - Abel, B. Reinhardt, Mataisen, Atuba - Mahdavikia, Jarolim, Laas, Sorin - van der Warth, Olic.

Eintracht (Sport Today version): Nikolov - Roemer, Kiriyakos, Vasoski, Oaks - Preuss, Huggel, Straight, A. Mayer, Heller - Takahara.

Last matches: = = - + + / - = = = -

First round match: 2: 2 (“Commerzbank-Arena”).

Quotes William Hill: victory, “Hamburg” - 1.61. draw - 3.3, the victory of “Eintracht” - 5.

Bavaria - Wolfsburg

24 February. Allianz Arena, 17.30.

Judge: Torsten Kienhefer (Herne).

Injuries: Ismael / dos Santos.

Disqualifications: Sagnol, Demichelis / no.

Bayern (Sport Today version): Kahn - Ottl, Lucio, van Buyten, Lam - Salihamidzic, van Bommel, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger - Mackay, Pizarro .

Wolfsburg (Sport Today version): Jentsch - Quiroga, Madlung, Hofland, van der Heyden - van der Legte, Makiadi, Ksinuvek, Marcelinho - Hanke, Klimovich.

Last matches: - = - + - / - = + = =

First round match: 0: 1 (Volkswagen Arena).

Quotes William Hill: the victory of “Bavaria” - 1.36, the draw - 3.75, the victory of “Wolfsburg” - 8.

Broadcast: NTV-Plus Football, 17.25 (direct).

BOCHUM - ALEMANIA

24 February. Revir Power Stadion, 17.30.

Judge: Peter Zippel (Munich).

Injuries: Skov-Jensen / Krontiris, Nemeth.

Disqualifications: no.

"Bochum" (version of "Sport today"): Fractional - Schroeder, Maltrits, Yahia, Benig - Epalle, Dabrowski, Zdebel, Troyan - Misimovich, Gekas.

Alemannia (Sport Today version): Straub - Stele, Herzig, Klitzper, Leivacabessi - Matt. Lehmann, Plasshenrich, Reckampf, Resler - Schlaudraff, Ibishevich.

Last matches: - = = - + / - - - = +

First round match: 1: 2 (Tivoli).

Quotes William Hill: the victory of “Bochum” - 1.95, the draw - 3.1, the victory of “Alemannia” - 3.5.

25 February. Borussia Park, 19.00.

Judge: Helmut Fleischer (Sigmershausen).

Injuries: Dams, Neuville / Baumann, Ovomoyela, Klasnic.

Disqualifications: no.

Borussia M (Sport Today version): Keller - Bogelund, Gokhuri, Ze Antoniu, Comper - Polanski, Kluge, Insua, Delura, Jansen - Kae.

Werder Bremen (Sport Today version): Wiese - Fritz, Mertezacker, Naldo, Wome - Frings, D. Jensen, Borowski, Diego - Klose, Hunt.

Last matches: - = + = - / + + - - -

First round match: 0: 3 (Weserstadion).

Quotes William Hill: the victory of “Borussia” - 3.75, the draw - 3.2, the victory of the “Bremen” - 1.83.

25 February. Veltins Arena, 19.00.

Judge: Manuel Grefe (Berlin) .

Injuries: Varela, S. Larsen, Levenkrands, Azamoa, Pander, Heppke / Roque Junior, Schwegler, A. Mayer.

Disqualifications: Kobiashvili / Butt.

Schalke 04 (Sport Today version): Neuer - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstaich, D. Rodriguez - F. Ernst, Bayramovich, Lincoln, Hamit Altıntop - Kuranyi, Halil Altıntop.

Bayer (Sport Today version): Adler - Castro, Juan, Aggie, Babich - Ramelov, Rolfes, Fryer, B. Schneider, Atirson - Kissling.

Last matches: + + + + = / + - - = -

First round match: 1: 3 (BayArena).

Quotes William Hill: victory, “Schalke 04” - 1.53, draw - 3.3, victory, “Bayer” - 6.

Broadcast: NTV-Plus Football, 18.55 (direct).

TOURNAMENT TABLE

SNIPERS: Gomez (Stuttgart) - 13, Macai (Bavaria), Klose (Bremen), Pantelich (Hertha) - 11 each .

24th TOUR. 2.03. Schalke 04 - Hamburg. 3.03. Hertha - Bavaria, Arminia - Nuremberg, Bayer - Stuttgart, Wolfsburg - Borussia M, Eintracht - Hanover-96, Werder Brechum. 4.03. Alemannia - Mainz-05, Borussia D - Energy.