When the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League was announced Schalke were given odds of 33/1, seventh out of the eight quarter-finalists. Bearing in mind they have Barcelona in the quarter-final with the second leg at the Nou Camp, the odds are indeed stacked against Schalke’s progression.

But bearing in mind any team at this stage is only a couple of lucky results from the final, what chance of them going all the way and winning the thing?

In the group stages they did put Valencia out, but the Spaniards are not the force that they once were, and the bulk of Schalke’s points came home and away against Rosenborg, hardly the most intimidating of opposition. This was followed by a victory over Porto in the last sixteen on penalties. Schalke are a club with a pedigree in penalty shoot-outs, but the result was hardly convincing. In the German league this season they are trailing in fifth, with unremarkable goals for and goals against tallies.

It must also be said that they don’t really have the players to take them far in the competition. Striker Kevin Kuranyi is probably the player of most note; and even he is not a particularly prolific forward. Captain Bordon is 31 now and his centre-back partner Krstaljic is 34 and neither possess the pace that they once did. Upfront they have a pair of internationals, Halil Altintop and Kevin Kuranyi, neither of which are known to be particularly prolific.

Schalke do not look like they have the weaponry to deal with Barcelona, the best they could perhaps hope for is to keep things tight in both legs and steal a goal from somewhere. They are too porous and aging at the back to deal with the pace of the Catalan’s forward line, and though Barcelona have shown signs of frailty at the back, Schalke do not look like they have the pace and penetration to offer a significant threat.

Blue Square betting odds to win Champions League:  100/1