Schalke 04 vs 1.FC Köln – 29/01/2023
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Schalke failed to win 62 of their last 67 Bundesliga matches. The Blues are in disarray and likely to be relegated just one season after achieving promotion to the top flight.
On Sunday, Schalke will welcome FC Koln to the Veltins Arena. Koln are coming off a brilliant 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
The Billy Goats were mere minutes from leaving Bavaria with a 1-0 win, but Joshua Kimmich’s 30-yard wonder strike gave Bayern a share of the spoils.
Koln are unbeaten in six straight games against Schalke in all competitions. The Billy Goats won four of those six matches while drawing twice with the Blues.
The Winter Break was massive for Koln, as it allowed the team to recover and reorganise. Since returning to Bundesliga action last weekend, Koln are unbeaten in back-to-back games. They picked up four points and outscored their opponents 8-2.
Schalke restarted the Bundesliga season like they ended the first part of it: in terrible form. The Blues are on a two-game losing streak as they fell 3-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt and 6-1 at home to RB Leipzig.
No team in the Bundesliga has conceded more goals than Schalke’s 41. In addition, the Blues have scored the fewest goals in the division with a mere 14.
Koln are unbeaten in four of their last five games at home. The Billy Goats play well on their own turf with four wins, two draws, and two defeats.
They have a goal difference of +8 at home. However, their road form isn’t anything to write home about. At least not yet.
Schalke are the Bundesliga’s worst home team with seven points from nine games. Schalke have scored a mere 10 goals at the Veltins Arena and conceded 25 times.
Thomas Reis took over as Schalke’s coach in October but has failed to improve the side. Reis goes into Sunday’s game with a long list of injured players. Around seven players are already ruled out of the game including Sepp van den Berg, Alex Kral, and Sebastian Polter.
Koln coach Steffen Baumgart also has several players in the treatment room ahead of the match. He will be without Kristian Pedersen, Sebastian Andersson, and Marth Uth for the fixture.
The Billy Goats restarted the Bundesliga season in excellent form. They should continue their form with a win over Schalke, as the Blues lose another away game. Koln won the reverse fixture 3-1 at home and this time should pick up a 2-1 away win.
