Bayern Munich-Schalke 04 is a match of the 32nd day of the Bundesliga and is played on Saturday at 3:30pm: TV, lineups, predictions.
We are witnessing a more compelling duel for the Meisterschale than ever before, in stark contrast to what has happened in the Bundesliga over the past decade. This time Bayern Munich cannot celebrate in advance as it has always done in these long years of “dictatorship”: the 11th consecutive title Kimmich and his teammates will likely have to sweat it out until the last day of the championship.
Thomas Tuchel’s team has only a one-point lead over Borussia Dortmund and is therefore master of its own destiny: should it win the next three games-two of them it will have the opportunity to play in front of its own home crowd-it will confirm itself as German champion. The biggest pitfall is the match with Leipzig, in the midst of the race for a Champions League spot, scheduled in a week’s time. But Bayern Munich cannot take the challenge with Schalke 04, still fully involved in the fight not to be relegated, lightly either. The club from Gelsenkirchen has performed a real sporting miracle – in January, everyone gave it up for dead following a disastrous first part of the season – and now, thanks to the nine points won in the last four rounds, it is out of the red zone for the first time: as of today, in fact, it would be safe without going through the promotion-relegation playoff.
The last previous one in Bavaria ended in a goleada
The gap to third-last place, however, remains minimal for Thomas Reis’ men, with the pair formed by Stuttgart and Bochum at -2 and still breathing down their necks.
Schalke 04 is back from the sensational success (2-3) won at home by Mainz, mocked in full recovery by a Bulter penalty. Two victories in a row, on the other hand, for Bayern Munich, which after countering the overtaking of Dortmund, two weeks ago surprisingly stopped by Bochum, in the last round cleared the Werder Bremen file thanks to two goals, both scored in the second half, by Gnabry and Sané: the goal of the final 2-1 scored by the green-and-white Schmidt three minutes from the end was irrelevant. On velvet the last two previous meetings with Schalke 04: in the first leg the Bavarians prevailed 2-0 at the Veltins Arena, while in Bavaria two seasons ago Bayern outclassed the white and blue as much as 8-0.
The Prediction
Schalke 04 will risk it all in a match that is prohibitive on paper: in fact, Reis’ men are in no position to make any calculations. It will be very complicated, in any case, to avoid defeat at home to a Bayern obliged to win to avert a new overtaking by Borussia Dortmund. An afternoon full of goals looms in Bavaria.
Bayern Munich-Schalke 04 likely lineups
- BAYERN MONACO (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Mazraoui, Pavard, de Ligt, Cancelo; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Musiala, Coman; Mané.
- SCHALKE 04 (4-2-3-1): Schwolow; Brunner, van den Berg, Kaminski, Matriciani; Krauß, Kral; Karaman, Zalazar, Bülter; Terodde.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-1