German Bundesliga Soccer - Schalke 04 vs. Wolfsburg, 6/20/20 - Preview, Prediction & Odds

Having qualified for another season in the Bundesliga, 10th-placed Schalke 04 take on 6th-placed Wolfsburg, who are still battling for a place in the Europa League. Kick-off - at 9:30 AM ET on Saturday, June 20.

Schalke Extend Winless Run

A run of two consecutive 1-1 draws came to an end for Schalke 04, who were edged out with a count of 2-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt away at Commerzbank Arena on Wednesday. The defeat extended the Royal Blues’ club-record winless streak to 14 contests (D6 L8), as the team controlled the ball just 36% of the time and was outshot 14-7, with USMNT’s Weston McKennie banking Schalke’s only strike, scoring for the second time in his last four appearances. The team from Gelsenkirchen is 10th in the league with a W9 D12 L11 record and will definitely play in the Bundesliga next season.

Knee injuries are still keeping top scorers Suat Serdar (7 goals) and Amine Harit (6) out of the lineup, with Benito Raman (4) still being the highest scoring available option for the Royal Blues. Goalie Alexander Nubel, meanwhile, sits 13th in the Bundesliga with 79 saves. He has recorded six clean sheets in 24 games this season and gives up a goal every 67 minutes on average. Schalke 04 have buried the 4th lowest quantity of goals this year (37) while taking the 3rd lowest number of shots per game (11). The team is 7th in ball possession (49.7%) and 11th in passing accuracy (77.4%).

Wolfsburg Fail In Monchengladbach

Wolfsburg dropped three important points during their race to end the season in the top-six of the Bundesliga after being beaten with a count of 3-0 by Borussia Monchengladbach away at Borussia-Park on Tuesday. The Wolves outshot the hosts 12-11 but failed to find the back of the net for the second time in their last six games, with the Foals taking a 2-0 lead in the first 30 minutes of the game, rounding off the proceedings with another strike midway through the second half. Wolfsburg sit 6th in the league (W12 D10 L10), level on points with 7th-placed Hoffenheim, one point above 8th-placed Freiburg.

Dutch striker Wout Weghorst, who made his Bundesliga debut against Schalke 04, leads the Wolves with 14 strikes this year, but is yet to score past the Royal Blues in three previous attempts. Goalie Koen Casteels, meanwhile, is 17th in the league with 66 saves. He has posted five clean sheets in 24 outings during the ongoing campaign and allows a goal every 65 minutes of play. Wolfsburg has scored the 10th highest number of goals so far this year (44) while recording the 5th highest amount of shots per game (14.2). The team is 9th in ball possession (48.7%) and 4th from the bottom in passing accuracy (75.9%).

Prediction

Schalke 04 have been the better team of this series during the past few years, with Wolfsburg managing to triumph on just one of the past nine occasions in all competitions (W1 D2 L6). At the moment, though, the Royal Blues are finishing the ongoing season as one of the worst teams in the league, going without a single victory for a club-record 14 consecutive games (D6 L8). The Wolves, on the other hand, have banked five wins on their last seven travels (W5 D1 L1) and have the extra urgency here, with a place in the Europa League for the following season still very much up for grabs.

Best bet:

Wolfsburg to win (-155)

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