Schalke 04 trash Duisburg, win German Cup

FC Schalke 04 ended their mixed season on a high with a 5-0 win against Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr area/district) rivals MSV Duisburg in the German Cup - DFB Pokal. The second division side were never really an opponent for their local Bundesliga rivals who won their fifth German Cup title.

Infront of a sellout 75,708 spectators at Berlin's Olympic Stadium it initially was an open game, but Schalke teenager Julian Draxler gave the royal blues an 18th minute lead with a lovely left-footer and four minutes later Dutch international striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar would double the lead with a nice strike off a brilliant Jefferson Farfan pass.

Thereafter Duisburg came into the game, but the second division side couldn't utilise their few chances through Sahan and Schaeffler with Schalke sealing the game in their favour in the 42nd minute when defender Benedikt Hoewedes headed in a corner.

After the break Schalke mainly controlled the game and added two more goals to finish 5-0. In the 55th minute Jose Manuel Jurado placed the ball nicely past MSV keeper David Yelldell off a pass from Huntelaar, while Huntelaar himself scored his teams fifth in the 70th minute after a defensive error.

"We played with great concentration and in the end it was, thank God, a clear result," said Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick. "It's great to end the season with the title. We're proud of the club."

For former Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez led the celebrations with a Spanish flag and his trademark bullfighting routine and the 33-year-old said after the game, "I had to come to Germany to win the cup. I'm very proud and happy to have won it. This must be celebrated. We're back in Europe."