FC Schalke 04
- FC Schalke 04 currently sit top of the 2. Bundesliga table with 47 points from 24 matches and manager Miron Muslic’s methodical approach to the game has seen his side take a firm grip on the title race.
- Schalke 04 are unbeaten across their last two home league games, coming into this fixture off the back of a 5-3 victory against Magdeburg.
- The Royal Blues are disciplined and shape-driven, structuring their attacks down the middle, controlling the tempo and pressing select areas to regain possession quickly.
Arminia Bielefeld
- Arminia Bielefeld, on the other hand, have looked up and down the table at times this season, and currently sit 12th in the 2. Bundesliga with 27 points from 24 games.
- Arminia Bielefeld have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five competitive fixtures, falling to consecutive defeats in their two most recent outings.
- The problem for Arminia has been consistency - they fell to a 0-1 home defeat at the hands of mid-table Hannover 96 on Saturday.
FC Schalke 04
Kenan Karaman is the team’s top goalscorer this term with 10 goals in 23 league appearances, but Edin Dzeko has been in irresistible form lately, contributing three goals and three assists in his last five appearances, helping Schalke to win two, draw two and lose just one of their most recent five league outings.
Arminia Bielefeld
- Joel Grodowski is the club’s top scorer this term, but he’s some way off Schalke’s pace with just eight goals in 22 appearances.
- Tim Handwerker has been in excellent form for Bielefeld recently, providing three assists in his last five league games, and could provide the visitors with a threat alongside his teammates.
Betting Insights
- The Royal Blues are very short odds at 1.94 in the result market, so we’re taking them in the outright market alongside over 2.5 goals at 1.92 and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.76.
- They average 1.73 goals per home league fixture this campaign, conceding just 1.00 in return, while Arminia score 1.17 per game on the road in the 2. Bundesliga, but have conceded 19 times on the road.
Prediction
Muslic’s men are simply a different team to the one that faced Bielefeld four months ago, when they won 2-1 away , and although they won’t have it all their own way against a dangerous Bielefeld side, Schalke should have the edge in the end .
