Hertha Berlin Vs Schalke
Hertha Berlin Vs Schalke Saturday 2nd January 2021 – 17:30 (kick-off)
German Bundesliga
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: Bet365
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 30th December 2020)
Preview: Closing in on the Bundesliga’s all-time record without registering a victory, currently standing at 31 games, can Schalke finally put to bed their long barren streak when they make the trip to the Olympiastadion where they face an out-of-sorts Hertha Berlin?
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Table of Contents
Hertha Berlin – Little in the way of home comfort?
The Old Lady entered this shortened version of the customary German break from competitive football looking rather nervously over their shoulder. That was because after sustaining their sixth league defeat of the campaign on Matchday 13, when succumbing to a 4-1 scoreline away at mid-table Freiburg, Hertha Berlin (W3 D4 L6) suddenly found themselves only three points clear of the Bundesliga relegation play-off.
Victory in their first fixture for nearly a fortnight then, against the team ranked rock-bottom in the table who are closing in on the all-time Bundesliga record without winning, becomes a must. The capital club are enduring their own mini rut, however, going their past three matches without registering maximum points, mustering low-scoring stalemates at home to Mainz (0-0) and in Gladbach (1-1) beforehand.
Unfortunately for manager Bruno Labbadia, his team are unlikely to find much solace in their record on home soil. Only three teams average fewer points on their own patch (0.83 – W1 D2 L3), with their sole victory coming against capital rivals Union Berlin. However, their form inside Olympiastadion has improved, picking up four points from the last six having previously managed just one through the first four games.
Schalke – Unwanted record drawing ever closer?
Desperate times often bring about desperate measures, and they don’t come much more hopeless these days than Schalke (D4 L9). The club remain firmly entrenched in the Bundesliga danger zone, six points adrift of the relegation play-off and seven back from automatic safety. Hardly an insurmountable deficit, which is exactly what the latest manager installed in Gelsenkirchen will be telling his new team.
The appointment of Christian Gross as interim manager until the end of the 2020/21 season means The Royal Blues are already on to their fourth head coach of the season – and considering neither of the previous three could get a tune from this group of players, the task facing the latest incumbent feels gargantuan. The 66-year-old inherits a side rapidly approaching a full year without winning a league game.
Not since beating Gladbach on 17 January 2020 have Schalke been seen winning a Bundesliga fixture. Their 29 subsequent games garnering 10 draws and 19 defeats, the latest a 1-0 reverse on home soil to newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld prior to Christmas. They also boast the league’s porous defence, conceding 2.77 per game, though have avoided defeat in two of their past three road trips (D2 L1).
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Hertha Berlin Vs Schalke Betting Advice
There will be a new face in the Schalke dugout but will the end result be anything different than what we have witnessed over the course of the last twelve months? The Royal Blues are without a win in the league since beating Gladbach at home in January 2020. They have failed to win in 29 subsequent efforts, with 13 coming this season (D4 L7) having lost five of the last six in the Bundesliga.
Hertha Berlin vs Schalke – Key Facts
- At home in the Bundesliga this season, Hertha Berlin have won just once – against Berlin rivals Union Berlin – in six such outings (W1 D2 L3), with both teams netting in four.
- Still the only Bundesliga club yet to record a win in 2020/21, Schalke would at least show promise on the road recently (D2 L1), with each of the last three seeing both teams score.
- Schalke have only failed to beat Hertha Berlin in two of their previous seven Bundesliga meetings (W5 D1 L1), going unbeaten across their past three visits to Berlin (W1 D2).
Fortunately for the visitors, hosts Hertha Berlin are looking ropey as well. The Old Lady winning one of their last six league games and only once at home all season. So with neither side reliable, plump for goals instead. These are two of the three worst defences in the Bundesliga. Furthermore, both teams scored in each of Schalke’s last three on the road, and in four of the six Hertha contested at home.
Best Betting Odds – Hertha Berlin Vs Schalke
Hertha Berlin – 7/10 (BetFred)
Draw – 29/10 (Betfair)
Schalke – 4/1 (Bet365)
