Camp Nou magic bewitches Schäfer

VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer admits he left the Camp Nou with deep regrets on Matchday 6 – but not just because FC Barcelona scored three times against him in a 3-1 UEFA Champions League Group E defeat.

First-class saves
Schäfer made four first-class saves of varying types to preserve his reputation despite conceding three goals. However, from his vantage point, the 28-year-old thought the German champions could easily have done more damage to their hosts. "I'm 100 per cent sure we played well enough to have scored one, maybe two more goals in this match," said the No1. "Given our injuries and the fact this was a game that meant nothing in terms of group positions, we showed a good attitude and played some nice football. There's no doubt in my mind that we created good opportunities and left with our pride intact."

Boyhood dream
According to the former 1. FC Nürnberg custodian, the venue and the opposition may also have given a lift to Stuttgart's performance. While some members of the coaching staff queued up after the final whistle to have pictures taken with Ronaldinho, the majority of the Stuttgart players left the field wearing or carrying Barcelona shirts they had exchanged with their rivals. "Of course our lads enjoyed this test because it's the boyhood dream of each and every footballer to come and test themselves at the Camp Nou against Barcelona," he said. "The result wasn't a joy but the experience was."