Ernst sees Schalke rise to the occasion

FC Schalke 04 midfielder Fabian Ernst praised the big-game mentality of Mirko Slomka's side as they put their patchy domestic form behind them to qualify for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history thanks to a 3-1 victory against Rosenborg BK at the Arena AufSchalke.

Disciplinary problems
Schalke sit seventh in the German league, and their build-up to the game was disrupted when Mladen Krstajić and Ivan Rakitić were suspended by the club for unprofessional conduct, but Ernst believed that proved an inspiration to his side as first-half goals from Gerald Asamoah, Rafinha and Kevin Kuranyi forced Rosenborg to make do with UEFA Cup football for the rest of the season.

'Stand together'
"We are satisfied that we played well," Ernst said. "It was a really important and very special game for us, particularly with the things that happened beforehand. After that it was even more important. We wanted to show that we are a team and stand together in situations like that. We have shown that throughout the 90 minutes today.

Pressure situation
"We are a team that needs pressure to play well – when we have to play well, we do it," the 28-year-old added. "But that is not good because in the Bundesliga we do not have these demands in every game – we must make sure we play well all the time, not just when we are under extreme pressure. We should go on playing at 100 per cent because every team we will meet now will be an absolutely top side. We have reached our first goal, and are happy with that, but now we must be ready for our next opponents."

Sole representatives
Striker Kuranyi, who scored in both Group B games against Rosenborg, insisted that the win was important for German football as Schalke ensured the country would have a participant in the next stage of the competition following the elimination of both VfB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen. Reflecting on a historic night for the Gelsenkirchen club, the German international said: "This is an important victory for our team, Schalke and the whole of Germany.

'Very proud'
"From the beginning we played offensively and were ready from the first minute," he added. "The first goal gave us more stability and after that we played, with the exception of a few minutes, very confidently. We're very proud that we are still in the UEFA Champions League. Every single game in the competition is a very special event."