This is how the eleventh game day goes: The eternal last damn Schalke to victory

Saturday 12th December 2020

This is how the eleventh game day goes
The eternal last damn Schalke to victory

Needed by David

The worst Bundesliga team of all time wants to convince the second worst, FC Schalke 04, to win. Will that work? The top teams around Bayern Munich have to shake off the Champions League glamor – and there could be movement in the table cellar.

Game of the week: FC Augsburg – Schalke 04

Schalke 04 plays badly. Very bad for months. So bad that now even the worst Bundesliga team in history, Tasmania Berlin, is praying for the Revierklub staggering towards the abyss. Almir Numic, president of the successor amateur club of the former Bundesliga club Tasmania, which had to file for bankruptcy in 1973, told the "kicker" that he was hoping for a Schalke three-point. And not entirely unselfishly: "You are following it very closely. As soon as our record was a bit jeopardized in recent years, we had enormous free advertising all over Germany".

Schalke, bottom of the table, have not won for 26 games – and so they come close to Tasmania's "record" of 31 duels without a win from the 1965/66 season. This time the opponent is called FC Augsburg (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. / like all other games also live in the ntv.de ticker). Heiko Herrlich's team, which started the season so well, only scored two measly points in the past four games and now has to be careful not to get into the Schalke table regions themselves. Therefore, the coach praised in a well-known manner that the Revierklub was "stronger than the standings" and had "incredibly great individual players, there is quality."

His counterpart, Manuel Baum, should slowly grow tired of this medal, which is distributed every week by respectful opponents. For him personally it goes back to his ex-club and he also has history with Herrlich: In the 2011/12 season, Baum was Herrlich's assistant at SpVgg Unterhaching. Before the duel there was "no contact", said the Augsburg coach. While Herrlich has to do without Andre Hahn, who has corona, Baum can again rely on Amine Harit, who was pardoned during the week. "Whether he is in the squad, whether he will be on the field or whether he will be substituted on," the coach left open.

With or without Harit, the Schalke emergency situation continues in Augsburg. With only three points from ten games and a goal difference of minus 25, the Royal Blues are at the bottom of the Bundesliga – but still have 17th from Mainz (two points ahead) and Bielefeld on the relegation place (four points ahead of S04) within striking distance . Maybe the Tasmania Effect will help to finally end the horror series. Tas President Numic is a little at odds, as he announced. On the one hand he is hoping for three points for the Revierklub, so that his team will keep the record, on the other hand he is a Dortmund fan and "has absolutely nothing against it if Schalke are relegated."

What else is going on

Too little noise from the stands and too much volume from the coaching benches. At least if it's after Bavaria-Coach Hansi Flick leaves. "It's like that you can hear a lot on the pitch – and also from the opposing bench. That is not always nice. Before it was a bit quieter outside because the fans drowned out everything," he said before the game at Union Berlin. Well, the coach of the Iron, Urs Fischer, will certainly not be particularly meek against the record champions because of Flick on Saturday evening from 6.30 p.m. Nevertheless, these days he is thinking more than just speaking: Fischer, whose contract with the iron was extended this week, ponders who can replace the injured Max Kruse at Union. Flick on the other side of course has a completely different squad available and, after stalking unbeaten through the Champions League group stage, wants to defend the top of the table. After all, the undefeated from Wolfsburg and wait in the weeks Leverkusen.

The latter are currently the first Bayern pursuers and triumphed in the Europa League on Thursday (group win, German goal record with 21 goals in the group phase). With a victory over the TSG Hoffenheim (Sunday, 6 p.m.) the Werkself would even take first place if Bayern didn't win at Union. But the Sinsheimers also met four times in Europe and travel to Leverkusen with self-confidence and striker Kramaric.

Lurking behind it Leipzigwho have favourited the "machines" (coach Julian Nagelsmann) that eliminated Manchester United in the Champions League. For the opponent's trainer Bremen, Florian Kohfeldt, the Red Bulls are "the strongest team in Germany". The game (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.) could not be more unequal, because Werder is not only fighting for their own form, but also has seven consecutive games without a win. In addition to Niclas Füllkrug and Milot Rashica, striker Davie Selke is now also out with thigh problems. The Bremen offensive and creative misery should write a new chapter.

At the same time measured on Saturday Borussia Dortmund with the strong climber VfB Stuttgart. After the 2: 1 in the premier class against Zenit St. Petersburg, Marco Reus (last 90 minutes on the bench against Frankfurt) will be allowed back on the field in the Bundesliga, although he is currently still looking for his form. The use of Mats Hummels and Thorgan Hazard is still unclear. VfB, who only lost the game against Bayern after their opening defeat against Freiburg, meanwhile drove rested to Dortmund and looked at the international positions.

Want these ranks Borussia Monchengladbach defend of course. The first-time Champions League round of 16 participants concentrated on the tablet screens after the 2-0 draw at Real Madrid in order to catch the decisive 0-0 in the parallel game – but now has to focus from the Ipad on a stronger one on Saturday afternoon Hertha BSC (Draw against Leverkusen, victory in the city derby). "There was no time to enjoy," said coach Marco Rose before the game: "We want to take energy from success with us. But we also put our fingers in the wound because we want to and have to stay tuned in the Bundesliga."

Furthermore, he hopes 1. FSV Mainz 05 to end the curse (not yet a victory in your own stadium) and thus the 1. FC Cologne to overtake in a direct duel. There is a second basement duel at SC Freiburg (both Saturday, 3:30 p.m.). Arminia Bielefeld After the first win of the season since matchday two, travels to Breisgau with self-confidence and wants to leave the relegation rank.

What was going on on Friday evening?

Especially Wout Weghorst again. The Dutch goal machine only needed twelve minutes for their eight and nine goals of the season – and makes VfL Wolfsburg dream of the Champions League. Shortly before the end, Weghorst cleared Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 (0-0) out of the way and his team remains undefeated. Eintracht, on the other hand, has been waiting for their third win of the season for more than a month.

You can find the full match report here.

Who plays the best phrase chess?

"I already downloaded the Champions League anthem so I can hear it before the game."
Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt on the start of the 'European week' of the Hanseatic League – after the game at RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund is another top team coming to the Weser.

Julian Nagelsmann was similarly musically speaking from the opponent from Saxony when asked about the draw for the round of 16 of the Champions League on Monday and his preferred opponents:
"Real Madrid and Juve have nice anthems. Maybe it will be one of the two teams. Werder Bremen also have a nice anthem. I always sing along with them."