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Schalke 04 welcome Werder Bremen to the VELTINS-Arena as clash in the second round of 2020-21 Bundesliga fixtures. Both sides are in the relegation zone following dismal losses in the opening week and will look to bounce back immediately.
All the positivity of Schalke’s start to the season evaporated inside the opening half-hour as Bayern Munich ran riot and opened up a 3-0 lead. David Wagner’s men were left chasing shadows for 90 minutes, as the defending champions handed them an 8-0 rout, with Serge Gnabry scoring a hattrick.
Werder Bremen also had a terrible start to the season, with Hertha Berlin handing them a 4-1 drubbing at the Weserstadion on the opening day. Hertha had racked up a 3-0 lead on the hour mark, before Davie Selke restored a semblance of dignity to the scoreline by dragging a goal back.
Jhon Cordoba’s 90th-minute goal ensured Hertha won the game 4-1 and left Werder in the relegation zone.
Schalke vs Werder Bremen Head-to-Head
A strange quirk of this fixture is that the away side has won the game on seven of the last 10 occasions. It bodes well for Bremen, who’ve also won seven of the last 10 while Schalke have won three.
Tellingly, there have been no draws between the pair in the last 10, although the margin of victory is usually narrow. The two met last in May, with Werder Bremen picking up a 1-0 win away from home.
Schalke 04 form guide: L-L-W-W-L
Werder Bremen form guide: W-W-W-W-L
Schalke vs Werder Bremen Team News
If the horror start against Bayern Munich wasn’t enough, David Wagner has further headaches to deal with, with top-scoring midfielder from last season, Suat Serdar, picking up an injury. Captain Omar Mascarell and defender Salif Sane are also on the sidelines.
On the transfer front, defender Matija Nastasic is reportedly in talks with AC Milan, although, given the lack of available personnel, he is likely to start against Bremen.
Injuries: Omar Mascarell, Salif Sane, Suat Serdar
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: None
Florian Kohfeldt relied on youth for the opening fixture and may have to continue with that enforced choice against Schalke, with Josh Sargent, and Tahith Chong likely to start. Midfielder Milot Rashica is a doubt after picking up a knee injury, joining Kevin Mohwald and Omer Toprak on the sidelines.
Leonardo Bittencourt has scored in each of the last three games against Schalke, so he may replace Yuva Osako in the lineup.
Injuries: Kevin Mohwald, Omer Toprak
Doubtful: Milot Rashica
Suspensions: None
Schalke vs Werder Bremen Predicted Lineups
Schalke 04 Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Ralf Fahrmann (GK); Sebastian Rudy, Ozan Kabak, Matija Nastasic, Bastian Oczipka; Benjamin Stambouli, Nabil Bentaleb; Mark Uth, Amine Harit, Rabbi Matondo; Goncalo Pacienca
Werder Bremen Predicted XI (4-4-2): Jiri Pavlenka (GK); Theodor Gebre-Selassie, Niklas Moisander, Marco Friedl, Ludwig Augustinsson; Tahith Chong, Davy Klassen, Maximilian Eggestein, Leonardo Bittencourt; Josh Sargent, David Selke
Schalke vs Werder Bremen Prediction
David Wagner’s men have not won in their last 17 league games, and with Werder Bremen having the historical advantage, all signs point to an away win.
Schalke are a mess, although Bremen haven’t looked any better after escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth last season. At best, we can expect both defences to suffer and may witness a high-scoring draw.
Prediction: Schalke 2-2 Werder Bremen
