Schalke saunter into latter stages

FC Schalke 04 moved into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup thanks to an emphatic 3-0 win against RCD Espanyol in their second-leg encounter at the Olímpico de Montjuic.

Schalke soar
Goals from Kevin Kuranyi, substitute Ebbe Sand and Lincoln were more than enough for the Bundesliga outfit to progress 5-1 on aggregate as Espanyol were humbled on home soil. Schalke will now face US Città di Palermo for a place in the last eight.

Slow start
Neither side seemed willing to take the initiative early on and goalkeepers Idriss Kaméni and Frank Rost were almost redundant. It was Schalke who eventually made the first real break on the half-hour mark as Kuranyi's cross was side-footed past the right-hand post by Fabian Ernst. Espanyol responded with an opening of their own, Didier Domi volleying an Armando Sá through-ball over the crossbar from 12 metres.

Espanyol blow
Coach Miguel Ángel Lotina's half-time talk appeared to have an invigorating effect on Espanyol, who forced the first save from either keeper when Iván de la Peña's free-kick was stopped by Rost. That chance appeared to spark Schalke into action, however, as they broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Rafinha curled in a neat cross from the right which Kuranyi headed powerfully into the bottom corner from ten metres.

Further strikes
With a place in the last 16 now within their gasp, the German visitors pushed forward, and stretched their advantage after 70 minutes when Kuranyi turned provider for Sand to score just four minutes after coming off the bench. Espanyol were unable to pick themselves up from the double blow allowing the visitors to wrap up the tie three minutes later, Brazilian midfielder Lincoln curling a 20-metre free-kick past a stranded Kaméni.