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Barcelona hope for improved showing against Schalke

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes insists the Spanish giants will brush off their recent poor results in La Liga with a positive performance against Schalke in today's Champions League quarter-final.

Barcelona threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Real Betis on Saturday -- which frustrated coach Frank Rijkaard -- and Valdes says the Spaniards need a morale-boosting win over their Bundesliga opponents in the first leg clash.

"Against Schalke 04 we will be positive from every point of view," Valdes said.

"The Champions League is a very attractive competition for everyone and we can go into the game feeling confident and knowing that a good result will boost our morale," he said.

Barcelona and Schalke are third in their respective leagues but have struggled for form of late.

Barcelona lost four of their seven games last month, while Schalke have been just as erratic in the German league although a 0-0 draw with Karlsruhe on Saturday moved them up to third.

Schalke 04 coach Mirko Slomka has warned his side they must raise their game if they are to have any chance of stopping Barcelona in today's first leg.

The German side knocked out 2004 champions FC Porto in the last round, but Slomka knows that today's game is the biggest of the season.

"The intensive preparations for Tuesday's game began at 5:20pm on Saturday, we have to improve and we know the targets we have to achieve against Barcelona," Slomka said.

The coach is all too aware that double European Cup champions Barcelona will be ruthless with his side at the Veltins Arena.

"We have to be better and stick tightly together, they will punish any mistakes we make immediately," he said.

This is virtually new territory for Schalke.

They haven't progressed this far in Europe's elite club competition for almost five decades, but Slomka said that was his motivation.
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