FC Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern München
Bundesliga, Matchday 5
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Tuesday, September 19th, 2017 2:30PM EST FS1
Happy Tuesday everybody, and welcome back to the Lewnau Sports Bureau! Last week certainly lived up to the billing as a Lionel Messi led Barcelona strolled past Juventus 3-0. Cristiano Ronaldo looked eager to be back on the pitch, and he didn't disappoint with a brace of his own. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur represented England well in 3-0 and 3-1 wins respectively. This week, despite no European action, is filled with some high profile matches both midweek and at week’s end. But, perhaps none more important than Tuesday’s clash between Schalke and Bayern in the Bundesliga. Therefore, I’ll provide you with in-depth analysis of each club, and its position within the league table as we build up to tonight’s high stakes fixture from Veltins-Arena.
Schalke’s Impressive Start
Expectations for the Royal Blues year in and year out should be a Top 6 finish at minimum, ideally a Top 4 finish. Essentially, this means European competition qualification. Well, last year the Miners failed to meet this requirement as the club limped and labored through the German league campaign to a 10th place finish. Thus, despite the high standards of securing a champions League or Europa League spot, this year the realistic expectations of what the squad can achieve was reeled back a bit. Then, the 2017-18 Bundesliga campaign kicked-off. Matchday 1 saw Schalke dispatch last season’s runners-up RB Leipzig 2-0! An early eye opener there. Could this be a new and much-improved club from a year ago? Or, is this just a blip on the radar? Then, after matchday 2, supporters and pundits are thinking it’s the latter, as the Royal Blues got served a reality check in a 1-0 loss to Hannover. But, instead of having the bad result snowball like last season, Schalke processed to win its next to fixtures. The Miners beatStuttgart 3-1, followed by Werder Bremen 2-1. Thus, it’s been a good start to the new campaign for the Royal Blues as they’ve taken 9 points out of 12. It appears that Schalke is back to its royal ways of winning, but tonight’s match against mighty München will tell a truer tale of where the club is and where it still needs to go. Win or lose.
Bayern’s Sluggish Start
Speaking of expectations, none are higher in Germany than for Bayern München. The Bavarians have won the league (27), DFB-Pokal (18), DFL-Supercup (6), and DFL-Ligapokal (6) in record totals. Thus, for fans and pundits alike, Bayern winning the the Bundesliga is not just an expectation it’s a given. FC Hollywood has won each of the past five league titles, but this year could be a different story. Through four matchdays, FCB has already dropped three points courtesy of Hoffenheim’s 2-0 win over the Bavarians. Interestingly, Hoffenheim was one of only two teams to beat Bayern all of last season, the other being Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund. However, despite the absurd talent that is in the squad, this team is in the midst of a transition of sorts. Long time captain Phillip Lahm and midfielding maestro Xabi Alonso retired at the end of last season. In addition, while star studded, veterans such as Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are slowly becoming a little one in the tooth. Often times we’re seeing the Dutchman and/or Frenchman being subbed off, not able to go the full 90 minutes any longer. Also, while perhaps underrated during his time at Bayern, the absence of Douglas Costa has played role as well. His blistering pace up and down the flanks created added scoring opportunites for Robert Lewandowski and “shell of himself" Thomas Muller. These moments are void now. Lastly, despite the squad losses and aging veterans, the Bayern board didn’t splash it’s riches on top-billing players over the summer window. Instead, to the chagrin of star striker Lewandowski, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge decided to take a frugal approach to retooling the club. Bringing in less expensive and lower-profile players. Only time will tell wether the change in signing philosophy will pay-off or not. But as for now, Bayern faces a tough test against a stern Schalke tonight. Can the stars shine once again for FC Hollywood?
Bundesliga Table
Currently, Bayern and Schalke are tied on points with 9 apiece. A tally that is good for third and fourth respectively, and just one point of the pace of table setters BVB and Hannover. Thus, this match is of significant importance. A win for either club could mean a first place position after matchday 5, but at the very least would allow said club to keep pace with the leaders. Conversely, a loss or draw would likely result in a bigger hill to climb in an effort to get to the top of the table. For Bayern in particular, winning the league is a must, so as is this fixture. As for Schalke, absolutely the club and supporters would love to win the league, but a top 4 finish is what’s of necessity for the Miners at this point. Therefore, you’ll likely see Bayern attack at will, while Schalke packs it in and plays for the draw, and hopes for a counter-winning goal.
Player To Watch
Robert Lewandowski is the go-to-guy for the Bavarians. The Polish striker is of elite quality, and deemed one of the best players in the world according to many including peer Cristiano Ronaldo. He currently leads the Bundesliga with 5 goals through four matches, including a brace last time out against Mainz. In addition, keep an eye on teammate Joshua Kimmich, as he leads the Bundesliga in assists with 3. As for Schalke, youngsters Breel Embolo and Leon Goretzka could be vital. Goretzka, vice-captain, is a do-it-all midfielder that’s capable of creating offensively whilst still disrupting opposition flow from a defensive point of view. Embolo meanwhile, has all of the tools and physical ability to be a top-level striker. At still a tender age of 20, the Swiss international has loads of pace and power to run past and bully by defenders. Thus, on the counter-attack and in set piece situations, Breel can be a beast.
LSB Prediction
The Veltins-Arena will surely be rocking tonight, as two Top 4 teams square off on the banks of the Rhine. Bayern lost it’s first big road test of the season, meanwhile Schalke has shown the quality and desire to win the big match at home via the RB Leipzig fixture. Thus, I suspect that the game will be decided late-on. Goretzka and Embolo will have done all they could, even managing to get one past Manuel Neuer, but in the end Lewandowski will produce a quick fire double down the stretch to see the Bavarians sneak 3-1 FC Bayern München