Schalke V FC Koln
Saturday 5 October 2019 – 17:30 Kick-Off
German Bundesliga
Pick: Schalke to WIN
Odds: 13/20
Bookmaker: Betway
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63/100 | 13/4 | 21/5 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 3 October 2019 at 14:00)
Preview: The evening kick-off in Germany sends struggling Koln, who have suffered losses in five of their opening six Bundesliga matches, to the Veltins-Arena where in-form Schalke are bidding to make it five consecutive Bundesliga victories. Coverage of this game can be seen live on BT Sport.
German Bundesliga Betting – 22Bet
Schalke Preview – Royal Blues to extend winning run?
Former Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner has wasted little time getting a tune out of a Schalke side who were extremely disappointing in the previous campaign. Six games into his tenure and after a slow start to begin with, when collecting only one point from games with Monchengladbach (0-0) and Bayern Munich (0-3), the team has suddenly stumbled across some genuine form.
Victory last weekend, over an RB Leipzig outfit who were unbeaten at the time and being lauded as potential title challengers, was the culmination of a stunning period that has now seen The Royal Blues win all of their last four league fixtures. Earlier triumphs included thrashing Paderborn (0-5) on the road as well as back-to-back home wins over Hertha Berlin (3-0) and FSV Mainz (2-1).
Perhaps the one criticism might be a lack of clean sheets, with each of their previous three wins also featuring both teams on the scoresheet. That particular bet, Schalke Win & Both Teams to Score, is 2/1 with BetVictor. However, the fact Wagner’s side have not conceded more than one goal in any game since being humbled at home by Bayern would perhaps suggest the defence has, in actual fact, tightened up slightly.
The form player right now is Moroccan midfielder Amine Harit. The 22-year-old has scored in three successive appearances (4 goals overall) and seems to have the added lure of taking penalties judging by his converted spot-kick versus RB Leipzig last time out. Despite his purple patch, we can still find decent odds about him scoring for the fourth consecutive league fixture (21/10 with Bet365).
FC Koln Preview – Billy Goats capable of an away surprise?
Germany’s perennial yo-yo club are at it again. Promoted as champions from the Bundesliga 2 last season, and doing so in tidy fashion after finishing a full six points ahead of the rest of the division, FC Koln (17th – W1 D0 L5, GF4 GA15) have made a typically poor start to life back in the top tier. Only another newly-promoted outfit, Paderborn, have accrued fewer points at this stage.
During their successful campaign in the Bundesliga 2 in 2018/19, Koln would finish with the strongest away figures in the league (W10 D3 L4, GF35 GA21). Coupled with the fact their only win since making the step back up to the Bundesliga was earned whilst on their travels, beating Freiburg 2-1 thanks to a 90th minute winner, means we probably shouldn’t dismiss them entirely here.
The facts are still damning, however. Losing five of your opening six matches is one thing but the manner of some is concerning, particularly the latest two – back-to-back 4-0 scorelines versus Bayern Munich (4-0) and Hertha Berlin (0-4). There were mitigating circumstances for last week’s pitiful display against Hertha, however, with defender Jorge Mere dismissed before half-time with the score still only 0-1. The Spaniard will serve a suspension here.
Although the goals have dried up recently, The Billy Goats had managed to score in their first four league encounters of the season. Meanwhile, three of their four goals were netted on the road. Which, again, highlights some ability to ask questions on their travels. Anthony Modeste has seven goals from just 15 club appearances, so could be interesting at 11/4 with Unibet to score.
Schalke V FC Koln Key Facts:
- Schalke are currently enjoying a four game winning streak in the Bundesliga, with the last three achieved without keeping a clean sheet.
- FC Koln have been beaten in five of their first six league games (W1 D0 L5).
- The previous three meetings would all finish in a draw, while the last five all produced both teams to score.
Betting Summary
The contrasting forms of these two teams makes Schalke an obvious selection. The Royal Blues have established some fluency to their play under David Wagner, culminating in that stunning victory away to high-flying RB Leipzig last weekend – their fourth consecutive win. Whereas Koln arrive with two successive 4-0 defeats to their name, having lost five of their opening six league contests.
That Schalke have won their past three matches with both teams scoring makes a small wager on Schalke & Both Teams to Score (2/1 with Bet365) worthwhile, particularly as Koln were adept travellers in Bundesliga 2 last season and have scored in two of their three away fixtures this season. The safer alternative would be Schalke & Over 2.5 Goals (13/10 with Coral), which would have landed in all of their last four matches.
