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Schalke 04 vs. Union Berlin
These days it’s really blow by blow. The Bundesliga is already expecting its fourth matchday this coming weekend and for fans of the respective teams it was already apparent in the first three rounds what is already going well and where there is perhaps still a little catching up to do. On Saturday, at the prime time of 15:30, there are, as always, five gripping matches on the schedule. One of them is between the Knappen from Gelsenkirchen and the Eisernen from Berlin. Both teams can talk about a solid start to the season from their point of view and you can find out what we think about this pairing in our Schalke – Union Berlin tip.
Three matchdays have already been played and the table is therefore a little more meaningful than it was a fortnight ago. Schalke 04 have only lost one game so far, but with two draws they are still waiting for their first win of the season. With these two points, Kramer’s team is in thirteenth place. The upcoming opponents from Berlin, on the other hand, got off to the best start in the club’s history and the seven points currently mean third place.
Schalke – Union Berlin Info
– Date & Time: 27.08.2022, 15:30 hrs.
– Venue: Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
– Competition: Matchday 4, Bundesliga
– TV broadcast: Sky
Schalke Form & Balance Check
The squirrel feeds hard. That’s what Schalke 04 fans will be thinking when they look at their three games so far. After the 1:3 against Cologne and the 2:2 against Gladbach, they drew 0:0 against VfL Wolfsburg on the last matchday. If we take a closer look at the game against the Lower Saxons, then clearly more was possible for S04. Not least Simon Terodde’s missed penalty kick will annoy coach Stefan Kramer in particular. Schalke will not have been dissatisfied with their performance against the ambitious Wolves and they will have to build on that against Union. Union is a team against whom Schalke have always looked quite good in recent years. The Knappen have not lost any of their last five competitive matches (two wins and three draws).
A real cracker is missing
The qualities of Simon Terodde are well known, at least in the 2nd Bundesliga. In the top flight, the now 34-year-old has a little difficulty, as befits his status. Sebastian Polter, too, still lacks a bit of a connection to the game. It is completely understandable that Schalke is still looking for reinforcements. Serdar Dursun is a new candidate. The former Darmstadt player currently plays for Fenerbahçe Istanbul and is said not to be averse to a move to Schalke. If the first three points are to come on Saturday, S04 will have to invest considerably more. In the first three matchdays, the promoted team had by far the least ball possession of all 18 teams.
Schalke facts & analysis
– 13th place with 2 points
– Extremely little possession so far (33% on average).
– Last played 0-0 against Wolfsburg
Union Berlin Form & Balance Check
If there’s one team in the Bundesliga, apart from FC Bayern, that’s doing really well, it’s coach Urs Fischer’s eleven. Union Berlin got off to an almost perfect start and the seven points after three games are not without reason the best start in the club’s history. Not least the 2:1 against RB Leipzig made it clear that the Eisernen are a force to be reckoned with this season. Despite the departure of goal-scorer Awonyi, the Berliners are very well positioned up front. The quick Geraldo Becker and striker Jordan Siebatcheu have been the Berliners’ life insurers so far. Both together have scored four of the five goals.
Little possession, lots of points
Union Berlin are always reinventing themselves, and the current idea of how coach Urs Fischer has football played shows that. In the first three games, Union had the least possession of all teams after their upcoming opponents Schalke 04. The fact that seven points are still on the books makes it clear that Union has developed its counter-attacking game to an extreme degree. If they get at least one point against Schalke next Saturday, Union would set their own club record. Currently, the series stands at four away games without defeat, five would be a new record. In addition, Union holds the longest unbeaten streak of any team – ten games already (eight wins and two draws).
Union Berlin facts & analysis
– 3rd place with 7 points
– Best start in club history
– Last win 2:1 against Leipzig
Predicted line-up – last update on 25 August 2022
The Knappen from Gelsenkirchen will probably try it again in a 4-4-2 in the upcoming match. Schwolow is back in the box, Brunner and Ouwejan are expected to put the necessary pressure forward. Kral and Krauß have their eyes on the centre and in the forward line it will probably come down to the duo Terodde and Bülter again.
The upcoming opponent from Berlin will not change anything in their 3-5-2. Why should they, when they won the last game against RB Leipzig? Becker and Siebatcheu are responsible for the goals in attack. Captain Trimmel will again want to convince with his dangerous corners and free kicks.
Schalke – Union Berlin direct comparison & statistics
So far, both teams have faced each other five times in their history and the direct comparison clearly goes to the Knappen. S04 are still without a defeat against Union. Three draws and two wins are on the books in this period.
– The average number of goals scored in a clash between Schalke 04 and Union Berlin is 2.
– The average number of goals scored in the first half in matches between Schalke 04 and Union Berlin is 1
– Union Berlin’s current performance in the Bundesliga is better than Schalke 04’s performance.
– Schalke 04 have scored every time in their last 5 matches
