Schalke 04 have been this year's enigma team. Impressive draws against of Bayern Munich and Chelsea to go with a Revierderby win over Borussia Dortmund have buoyed poor results elsewhere including a 1-1 draw with Maribor and a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach. That wildly fluctuating form ultimately cost head coach Jens Kellers his job at the start of the international break, and with new coach Roberto di Matteo at the helm, Schalke are in flux heading into this match
Schalke 04 vs. Hertha BSC: Time, TV schedule and game preview
Sascha Steinbach
Hertha BSC on the other hand are hoping that Julian Schieber and Salomon Kalou can continue to be hot hands in front of goal, especially given their struggles defensively this season. For a team looking to establish itself as a force in the Bundesliga, their second season back up hasn't been exactly smooth to date.
Key player - Julian Draxler (Schalke 04)
There’s a reason 21-year-old Julian Draxler has been linked with Bayern Munich and Arsenal in the last 9 months. When he’s on his game, his creative ability and skill make Schalke a potent force and one that can present a fierce challenge to Europe’s best sides. However, when he’s lost, Schalke struggle against even some of the weakest Bundesliga sides. If Schalke want to start the di Matteo era off on the right foot, they need Julian Draxler to be firing on all cylinders come Saturday.
Key matchup - Roberto di Matteo vs. the ghost of Jens Keller
Jens Keller was always an enigmatic coach and his Schalke sides of the past two years carried that fact onto the pitch. His replacement, Roberto di Matteo has had a two-week international break to orient his side and whip them into tactical shape. Whether or not di Matteo has had the time to start implementing his vision is certainly a viable question, but the coach comes with a pedigree of tactical strength and pragmatism that may just be the answer this Schalke side needs. Just how quickly he can get this Schalke side to gel to his vision will be the most important question as Schalke certainly have the quality to overwhelm Hertha BSC.
Schalke 04 injuries and suspensions
Out: Felipe Santana, Jan Kirchoff (rehab), Sidney Sam (rehab), Leon Goretzka (fitness), Sead Kolasinac (ACL), Jefferson Farfan (ankle), In doubt: None.
Hertha BSC injuries and suspensions
Out: Sebastian Langkamp (ankle), Alexander Baumjohann (ACL), Tolga Cigerci (toe). In doubt: None.
Any team that loses the likes of Sidney Sam, Leon Goretzka, and Jefferson Farfan in attacking midfield is ordinarily going to be in bad shape. However, those three aren’t even Schalke’s best attacking midfielders as Max Meyer and Julian Draxler beat them for skill and importance. However, the dual losses of Felipe Santana and Jan Kirchoff continue to leave Schalke with serious question in defense.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 6:30 pm local, 12:30 pm ET
Venue: Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
TV: GOLTV (USA), BT Sport 1 (UK), Sky Bundesliga 1 (Germany)
Online: Sky Go (Germany)
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