UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIRST KNOCK-OUT ROUND, FIRST LEG: Valencia 1 Schalke 04 1:RAUL SCORED his 70th goal in European competition as Schalke recovered from a goal down to force a draw at the Mestalla last night.
The former Spain international levelled in the 63rd minute, and the outcome might have been even better for the German side if Junmin Hao had tucked away a chance in injury-time which was saved by Vicente Guaita.
The visitors were then reduced to 10 men at the death with the dismissal of Lukas Schmitz.
Valencia had chances to put the game out of reach after Roberto Soldado had put them ahead.
In the fourth minute Jose Manuel Jurado swung in a free-kick forcing Valencia goalkeeper Guaita to punch the ball away.
The visitors should have taken the lead in the ninth minute when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar found himself unmarked as Valencia appealed for offside but he miskicked. However, it was the hosts who took the lead. Jeremy Mathieu crossed into the near post where Soldado sent a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner.
Schalke kept plugging away and Mehmet Topal was powerless to stop the ball hitting his hands in front of his face in the penalty area before Guaita had to be alert to push Peer Kluge’s header on to the bar. Schalke allowed Aritz Aduriz to get free in the box but his fine first touch was not matched by the finish. Tino Costa unleashed a fierce shot which startled Manuel Neuer as Valencia ended the first half in the ascendancy.
Schalke had a good chance to equalise when Raul unleashed a shot from the edge of the area, forcing Guaita to push the ball away. Aduriz again lost his marker in the area but his shot was more like a backpass and Valencia were penalised when Raul equalised. The ball was played in by Jurado and Raul nipped across David Navarro, took a touch and placed the ball under the goalkeeper.
Schalke had a chance to take a 2-1 lead but Hao unleashed low shot which Guaita did well to turn aside before Schmitz was sent off.
VALENCIA:Guaita, Miguel, Navarro, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu (Jordi Alba 78), Banega (Vicente 68), Topal, Costa, Dominguez (Joaquin 68), Soldado, Aduriz. Subs not used: Cesar, Bruno, Maduro, Pablo. Booked: Ricardo Costa.
SCHALKE 04:Neuer, Uchida, Howedes, Metzelder, Schmitz, Farfan (Draxler 79), Kluge, Matip, Jurado (Edu 83), Raul, Huntelaar (Hao 90). Subs not used: Schober, Sarpei, Karimi, Gavranovic. Sent Off: Schmitz (90). Booked: Matip, Schmitz, Neuer, Jurado.
Referee:Alexei Nikolaev (Moscow).
Attendance: 50,000
