'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Kick-off: 1830 CET, 2300 IST (Live on Neo Prime)
Schalke 04 face the rather unenviable task of facing Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena today. Having made their Bavarian stronghold a fortress this season, Jupp Heynckes’ men sit on top of the German Bundesliga with 51 points from 20 games, a whopping 12 more than second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Schalke have had a season of woe this past year. Letting go of manager Huub Stevens in December last year, Jens Keller sees his team in sixth place on points. Beset by personnel issues and with a woeful record against Bayern in Munich, with the Bavarians having won 29 out of 42 games against the Konigsblauen, Keller’s depleted squad will have their work cut out for them.
Trending
Bayern Munich: WDWWW
Dec. 8, 2012: FC Augsburg (A): 2-0, German Bundesliga
Dec. 14, 2012: Borussia Monchengladbach (H): 1-1, German Bundesliga
Jan. 19, 2013: SpVgg Greuther Furth (H): 2-0, German Bundesliga
Jan. 27, 2013: VfB Stuttgart (A): 2-0, German Bundesliga
Feb. 2, 2013: FSV Mainz (A): 3-0, German Bundesliga
With 51 points from 20 games, Bayern seem nearly unstoppable on top of the Bundesliga. Disposing of Augsburg on their travels in December, Monchengladbach are the only team to deny Bayern points in their last five fixtures. With three clean sheets and seven goals in their next three games against Greuther Furth (2-0), Stuttgard (2-0) and a 3-0 romp over Mainz, Bayern are odds-on favourites to win the German league yet again.
The last time these two sides met, Bayern came away with a 2-0 win at the Veltins Arena. They won by the same scoreline in South Germany when the two teams met last season.
Schalke 04: LLWDL
Dec. 8, 2012: VfB Stuttgart (A): 1-3, German Bundesliga
Dec. 15, 2012: SC Freiburg (H): 1-3, German Bundesliga
Jan. 18, 2013: Hannover 96 (H): 5-4, German Bundesliga
Jan. 26, 2013: Augsburg (A): 0-0, German Bundesliga
Feb. 2, 2013: SpVgg Greuther Furth (H): 1-2, German Bundesliga
The Gelsenkirchen outfit have only won one out of their last five games. A woeful run of form sees them slump to three defeats against Stuttgart, Freiburg and cellar-dwellers Greuther Furth. What is even more surprising is that Freiburg and Furth have beaten them at the Veltins Arena.
With just goal difference separating themselves from seventh-placed Monchengladbach in the, Europa league spots in the German league, Schalke’s form against their Munich-based opponents does not make for good reading. They have lost their last three fixtures (all 2-0) in all competitions and were also walloped 5-0 by Die Roten during a preparation match in the recently concluded winter break
Bayern Munich
“For a player not to be happy when they are not playing is quite normal, but that is the case with five or six player. This is just the way things are at the moment. I have faith in all of my players.
“What I rate the most about Schalke is that they are a good team even when they are unsettled. They will come to Munich with a great deal of motivation and they will want to create an upset here.”
- FC Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes
For the last few games, both Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez have been left on the bench, such is the form and quality Bayern can boast of at present. Everybody in the squad is fit and there are no new injuries following the recent international break.
Heynckes believes Schalke will come to Munich with a determined attitude and says they were unlucky against Furth. However, he is expected to field a lineup that he has not changed for his side’s last three games.
Bbastian Schweinsteiger missed Germany’s 2-1 win over France with an ankle concern but he is expected to be fit for this game. Brazil international Luis Gustavo is out for the season after undergoing surgery on his groin.
Claudio Pizzaro was given a late flight clearance by Peruvian security after his nation’s 2-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago, but that will be of little concern to his club.
Squad (from): Manuel Neuer, Dante, Daniel Van Buyten, Franck Ribéry, Javi Martínez, Mario Mandžuki?, Arjen Robben, Xherdan Shaqiri, Rafinha, Claudio Pizarro, Jérôme Boateng, Patrick Weihrauch, Philipp Lahm (captain), Tom Starke, Maxmilian Reidmuller, Thomas Muller, Diego Contento, David Alaba, Holger Badstuber, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Raeder, Mario Gomez, Emre Can, Toni Kross, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk
Predicted Starting XI (4-3-3): Neuer; Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba; Martinez, Schweinsteiger; Müller, Kroos, Ribery; Mandzukic
Schalke 04
“There’s no point complaining. Now it’s up to other players to fill the void.I believe in the boys and they have the belief that they can turn things around.”
- FC Schalke 04 manager Jens Keller
The Royal Blues are beset by several injury troubles. Influential midfielder Ibrahim Afellay is out with a torn thigh muscle, Greece international Kyriakos Papadopoulos has been injured for some time now, Christian Fuchs, the left-back, is suspended and talismanic striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will sit out this game with the same burst blood vessel in his eye that saw him miss the 1-1 draw between the Netherlands and Italy in Amsterdam.
To compound matters, Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan was only allowed to board a later flight after his nation beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 an is only expected to arrive in Germany at 12 noon local time. But jet-lag or no, he has been pencilled in for his side’s trip to Munich.
New signing Michel Bastos is also available for the visitors.
Squad (from): Ralf Fahrmann, Benedikt Howedes (captain), Ciprian Marica, Michel Bastos, Marco Hoeger, Jermaine Jones, Edu, Jefferson Farfan, Raffael, Teemu Pukki, Chinedu Obasi, Christoph Metzelder, Atsuto Uchida, Tranquillo Barnetta, Christoph Moritz, Max Meyer, Rene Klingenberg, Julian Draxler, Joel Matip, Roman Neustadter, Lars Unnerstall, Timo Hildebrand, Sead Kolasinac
Predicted Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Hildebrand; Höger, Höwedes, Matip, Kolasinac; Neustädter; Farfan, Jones, Barnetta, Bastos; Pukki
Bayern Munich: Mario Mandzukic
With 16 goals in all competitions for the Bavarians, Croatia forward Mandzukic has been in excellent form for his new side since his arrival from Wolfsburg this summer.
Capable of playing both in the hole and on his own up front, the versatile 26-year-old is also comfortable drifting out wide to aid in Bayern’s attack. Having formed a telepathic understanding with his wide men, Mandzukic will be expected to deliver the goods up front for the home side.
Schalke 04: Benedict Howedes
Tasked with the responsibility of halting Mandzukic and Thomas Muller, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Xherdan Shaqiri – whoever plays for the home team – will be skipper Benedikt Howedes.
The German international is the foundation on which the Royal Blues rearguard is constructed, and without Fuchs and Papadopoulos in the back line, their replacements will look to him for inspiration and leadership.
Prediction:
With Schalke low on confidence and stretched for personnel – a definite no-no when you are facing Bayern – it seems very likely that the on-song hosts will come away with three points, unless Schalke can indeed pull off an upset.
Bayern Munich 3-0 Schalke 04
