Raúl reclaims top scorer crown with Schalke

Schalke07 3 - 1 Hapoel Tel Aviv 

 

 

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Raul has not been the quickest to adapt to pastures new with Schalke 04 after moving from his beloved Real Madrid but Wednesday offered evidence at last that he is finally feeling at home. His two goals - the Spaniard's first in the Champions League for the Germans following his July move - took Die Koenigsblauen to a 3-1 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv in Group B at the Veltins Arena, the goals advanced the competition's all-time leading scorer's tally to 68 and nobody was smiling more afterwards than his manager Felix Magath who knows better than most the problems Raul has had with only one goal in the Bundesliga so far.

"For him this is liberation. You just saw how good he positions himself. 68 goals," said Magath.

The 33-year-old Raul is too much of a professional and too experienced to break open the best red vintage just yet.

He opened his account in the third minute after Klaas-Jan Huntelaar let a Jose Manuel Jurado pass slide through his legs.

He doubled the hosts' lead with a close range effort in the 58th minute before Jurado added another 10 minutes later.

"I am delighted tonight because we played a very good game and we were better than our opponents," a beaming Raul told reporters.

"To score two goals in such a big game, my first for Schalke (in the Champions League) makes me feel good. I never thought I would score 68 goals. It is a day that I want to remember."

The Spanish icon grabbed the first goal of the game three minutes in before scoring the record-tying goal just before the hour mark. The impressive Jose Jurado added gloss to the performance with an excellent curling effort ten minutes later.Raul scored the second two minutes later. Ivan Rakitic played a delightful one-two with Jurado before squaring the ball to Raul. The Spanish ace kept his cool to slot the ball into the corner of the 'keeper's net to pass Gerd Mueller's European goalscoring record.

Raúl González said "even for me this is really special" after his first European goals for FC Schalke 04 took him past Filippo Inzaghi as continental club football's all-time top scorer.

Dedication, a long career and no small amount of skill are what you need if you want to be a record breaker. Raúl González's brace for FC Schalke 04 in Wednesday's 3-1 win against Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC eased him clear of AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi as the outright top scorer in UEFA club competition.

Raúl's personal haul now reaches 70, with 68 of those strikes coming in the UEFA Champions League. The 33-year-old's move to Germany appears to have given the former Spanish international a new lease of life. Two expert finishes, one with either foot, sent the Arena AufSchalke into raptures as the Real Madrid CF great netted his first European goals for the Bundesliga side.

Raúl has been there, done that, and won it all, yet scoring in the UEFA Champions League has lost none of its lustre for the much-garlanded forward. He said: "I never imagined I would get so many goals in a competition like the Champions League, and even for me this is really special. I won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid, but today is a great day because I scored my first two Champions League goals for Schalke."

"I know what Raúl can do – I don't need to see any goals, I see nearly every day in training what a GIFTED player he is. He is a BLESSING for our team, an EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER. He's not only able only to score, but can also create chances. He will be happy about his two goals, he will enjoy it – but not with a glass of Rioja I hope."[Felix Magath]

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