Die Koenigsblauen had been carried by their two world class stars, but looked ever-susceptible at the back, and their reliance on one primary goalscoring threat asked questions as to whether they would be able to cope if Raul had an off day.
Those questions were answered on Wednesday as Jefferson Farfan delivered a virtuoso performance, scoring twice and playing a large role in a third goal as Schalke overturned an early deficit to earn a 3-1 win and advance to the quarter-finals.
Similar questions were asked of Valencia following the departures of David Silva and, in particular, David Villa last summer. Los Che went on to score an impressive 15 goals in the group stage, but when it came to the grand spectacle of the knockout rounds, the clinical precision of Villa was missing. After going ahead through Ricardo Costa’s header last night, Valencia had several chances to score the vital second goal that would have decided the tie in their favor. However, 73 minutes passed without another goal for the Spaniards, who repeatedly sprung the Schalke offside trap but failed to capitalize on their hosts’ rather unconvincing defense.
Last night’s match in Germany was a familiar scenario for Valencia, who last year traveled to Bremen in the Europa League after drawing 1-1 at the Mestalla. Then, as on Wednesday, their hosts were strong in attack, but weak at the back. The difference was that in the spring of 2010, Los Che had just seven attempts on goal, but scored four times thanks to Juan Mata and hat-trick hero Villa. The 4-4 scoreline at the end of the match was just enough for Valencia to advance on away goals.
On Wednesday, however, Valencia missed the clinical efficiency of their former hero, Villa. Aritz Aduriz made all the right runs and often had the Schalke defence at his mercy, but had one effort blocked and another saved when he was through on Manuel Neuer’s goal. Tino Costa and Juan Mata also had clear chances to score a second away goal, but put efforts wide from close range.
Valencia needed someone to step into Villa’s boots as Roberto Soldado had earlier in the competition, but their needs went unfulfilled as they were put to the sword by a clinical Schalke side. Raul was not up to the challenge on Wednesday, but Farfan answered his team’s call, and delivered the blows that mattered in his two goals.
Though his brilliance has often been singled out as the primary reason for Schalke’s presence in this year’s Champions League, it has often been questioned whether Farfan could deliver quality performances on the international stage. Against the team for which he nearly signed in the January transfer window, he emerged a hero.
At the moment, the future is bleak for Schalke, who face a mountain of debt, and will not return to the Champions League next season. They deserve heaps of praise for advancing to the quarter-finals, but will likely be past their level as they enter the next round. However, there may be brighter things on the horizon for Farfan, whose stock dramatically rose following his performance on Wednesday. He may be no Villa, but the former PSV man proved he deserves to play in the Champions League. Given that Schake will be forced to make sales in the summer, he may find himself back in the limelight in a year’s time; Valencia would do well to sign him.
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Jefferson Farfan Proves Schalke Are More Than Just Raul & Manuel Neuer