German Bundesliga - Schalke 04 vs. Werder Bremen - Preview & Prediction
By Valdis Pans
Trying to end a three-game losing skid, 9th-placed Schalke 04 will be playing host to 17th-placed Werder Bremen, who are still battling to avoid relegation. Kick-off - at 9:30 AM ET on Saturday, May 30.
Schalke Lose Third In Row
A third consecutive defeat came about for Schalke 04, who were edged out with a score of 2-1 by Fortuna Dusseldorf away at Merkur Spiel-Arena on Wednesday. A diving header by USA international midfielder Weston McKennie got the score rolling at the start of the second period with his second snipe of the season before the hosts equalized just 10 minutes later, banking the winner not long after. The Royal Blues have now lost five of their previous six matchups (D1 L5) and are winless in their last 10 (D4 L6), sitting 9th in the league (W9 D10 L9), 10 points above the bottom-three, chasing the top-six by five points.
Schalke’s top scorers Suat Serdar (7 goals), Amine Harit (6) and Benito Raman (4) are all injured, leaving the team with a probable front three, consisting of Daniel Caligiuri, Guido Burgstaller and Rabbi Matondo, who has managed to score just two goals between them throughout the whole season. Goalie Markus Schubert, meanwhile, has stopped 38 shots in nine appearances this year, ranking 20th in the league in this department. He has picked up two clean sheets and allows a goal every 41 minutes on average.
Werder Bremen Earn A Draw
Werder Bremen went unbeaten in two consecutive Bundesliga games (W1 D1) for the first time in the calendar year of 2020 after following up the 1-0 road victory against Freiburg last Saturday with a 0-0 draw versus Borussia Monchengladbach at Wohninvest-Weserstadion on Tuesday. The Green-Whites dominated in shots (12-9) and attempts on target (7-4), despite controlling just 45% of the ball possession, but still had to settle for their first 0-0 score versus Gladbach since March 1998. Werder Bremen are still second-bottom with a W5 D7 L15 record, trailing the relegation play-off spot by five points, sitting six points below outright safety, but with a game in hand.
Kosovar attacking midfielder Milot Rashica leads the Green-Whites with seven markers but has failed to get on the scoresheet for 12 straight Bundesliga outings since netting against Bayern Munich on Dec. 14. Goalie Jiri Pavlenka, meanwhile, occupies the 4th place in the Bundesliga with 88 saves made so far this season, having also posted three clean sheets in 26 appearances. He has conceded 57 snipes in the league this year, giving up a goal every 41 minutes on average.
Prediction
Schalke 04 have picked up more Bundesliga victories versus Werder Bremen than against any other opponent historically (38). They have, however, dropped their last three home outings against the Green-Whites, who have banked a total of 15 away triumphs in Gelsenkirchen - more than against any other team. Werder Bremen have notched six victories in their last nine encounters with Schalke 04 in all competitions and will be meeting a side, which has failed to win any of its last 10 Bundesliga fixtures, earning just four points from a possible 30 (D4 L6). With the Royal Blues currently going through a serious injury crisis as far as their attacking troops are concerned, expect a positive result for the visitors here!
Best bet:
Werder Bremen to win (+190)
