Bundesliga: Schalke 04 vs. Borussia Monchengladbach Preview, Odds, Prediction

Two former UEFA Cup winners clash in Saturday’s Bundesliga derby, and that is something we have to cover. Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach take on one another in what is the delight of Saturday’s Bundesliga program. These two teams were German champions 12 times combined and have three UEFA Cup titles. So, we can say that they present historical figures in European football. However, in the past few years, they are nowhere near those heights. Borussia sometimes makes a notable result, while on the other side, Schalke was even relegated, coming back to Bundesliga this season.

Preview

Schalke (+220) lost in the opening round in Koln, 3-1. Prior to that clash, they were better than Bremer in the DFB Pokal, winning 0-5. However, the Miners could feel the difference between the second and the top tier against the Billy Goats, who were in control throughout all 90 minutes, outplaying the rivals in all aspects of play.

The Miners had only 27% of the ball possession, which indicates that they need to make certain adjustments in the middle and possibly add a few more players to its roster. Also, Allowing 30 shots on goals is way too much, and against some better teams, it might result in a catastrophe.

Schalke didn’t bring too many players this summer, and overall, those who arrived in Gelsenkirchen were cheap, with the top signing Ouwejan from AZ, costing $2.5 million.

Borussia Monchengladbach (+110) opened the season with a victory at home against Hoffenheim. The guests received a red card, and then shocked the hosts by taking the lead, but Monch recovered until the half, taking over the wheel.

Then, in a seven-minute span, Marcus Thuram and Nico Elvedi netted a goal each, bringing the lead and sealing a triumph. This unit had a modest transfer window, with two players arriving at Borussia Park and Breel Embolo leaving to Monaco for $13 million.

The backbone of the lineup is the same, with Plea, Hoffman, Thuram, Kramer, and Elvedi still running the business on the field. For many, Monch is one of the candidates for the top four place and the UCL spot.

Latest News

Dominick Draxler received a red card, and he is suspended for this game. Meanwhile, Leo Greiml is injured, and he will be out in this event too.

Marvin Friedrich and Lars Stindl are both questionable for Saturday afternoon.

Head to Head Games

These two sides met two years ago, in the season that saw the Miner suffering a relegation. Borussia was better on both occasions, winning 4-1 at home and then 0-3 on the road.

Prediction

For the moment, Schalke doesn’t have the quality to compete with top Bundesliga teams, and Borussia is one of the better units in the league. The odds on Monch’s victory are +110, which is great because we really believe that there is value in this pick. Koln demolished the Miners, not allowing them to have the slightest chances of being competitive, and in our opinion, Borussia is on another level compared to the Billy Goats. Therefore, the guests’ victory is our choice here.

Pick: Borussia Monchengladbach +110