Schalke prepare to up the tempo

FC Schalke 04 may have made an unbeaten start to their Bundesliga campaign but captain Marcelo Bordon knows they need to improve further if they are to take three points against Valencia CF in their UEFA Champions League Group B opener.

'Another level'
"Valencia's quality is at another level from our opponents in the Bundesliga, but we have a chance of beating them," said central defender Bordon, whose team lie eighth in the German top flight having won once and drawn four times this term. Schalke will certainly not shirk the physical side of the game, having proven their willingness to contest every ball during a feisty 1-1 draw at FC Bayern München on Saturday.

'Valencia is our goal'
But Bordon is quick to dismiss any suggestion that the Royal Blues will be focusing on anything other than maximum plunder against a Valencia outfit who have registered two wins from their opening three Primera División matches. "We don't think about fouls and tough play, we only think about winning," said the 31-year-old. "Sometimes football gets a little bit rough but it is not our goal to play in that way. For us, it is all about getting the result we want. It is also important not to look too far ahead in the group, because the next game is the most important. We are not thinking about Chelsea [FC] – Valencia is our target."

Touchline ban
The Schalke dressing room could feel slightly surreal without coach Mirko Slomka, who will serve a one-match touchline ban imposed following last season's UEFA Cup defeat by AS Nancy-Lorraine. Bordon "doesn't know" what impact the suspension will have on the team. "It is a new experience for us," the Brazilian said. "When we are on the pitch, we will do everything to win the game, even if the coach is in the stands. We will know afterwards what effect it had."