Will Schalke break the deadlock in the derby against the bottom team?
When FC Schalke 04 welcomes VfL Bochum for the Revierderby, both teams will be fighting for important points in the battle against relegation. Both teams are still winless in league play in the 2022/23 season. While the Gelsenkirchen side have already picked up three points from three draws and two defeats, VfL still have zero points on record after losing five games.
The Reis team will be hoping for a turnaround at the Veltins-Arena, where they have lost their last five Bundesliga away games in a row. That is why the bookmakers are again favouring the Gelsenkirchen side in the run-up to the derby between Schalke and Bochum.
However, the Königsblauen are far from having arrived back in the Bundesliga after this summer’s second division championship. In addition to the defensive vulnerability – the twelve goals conceded are only topped by today’s opponents Bochum (15) – the offensive was also far too tame with only five goals.
Because the guests from the city of Grönemeyer also only scored three goals, it could well be tough in Saturday night’s match. A lot of value is therefore provided by betting on less than 2.5 goals for Schalke against Bochum.
Schalke – Statistics & current form
FC Schalke 04 returned to the Bundesliga this summer as freshly crowned second-division champions, just one year after their miserable relegation from the top flight of German football. The mission is clear: to re-establish themselves in the top flight as quickly as possible.
Looking at the current table, this goal would be just about achieved after five of 34 matchdays. Although the Königsblauen have not yet won any of their first five league games, they are currently 15th in the table and just above the line.
On average, only one goal scored per game
It is clear, however, that Schalke will hardly be able to stay in the Bundesliga if they don’t get their first three goals in the near future.
However, it is clear that Schalke will not be able to stay in the Bundesliga if they don’t get their first three goals in the near future.
For this to happen, however, Frank Kramer’s team will have to improve in all areas.
On the one hand, S04 already concede twelve goals, making them the second-worst defensive team in the Bundesliga. And on the other hand, the only five goals scored correspond to the sixth weakest attack. Accordingly, the next two district duels are important for the Gelsenkircheners, when the home match against Bochum is followed by the away match in Dortmund.
Saturday night just doesn’t suit Schalke
At least the record speaks against the Bochum side for the Königsblauen, who have always scored in their last eleven Bundesliga games against VfL and have won all of their last five home games.
Nevertheless, the betting on Schalke’s first win against Bochum will be overshadowed by a different record. Whenever the Knappen have been in the limelight recently, i.e. when they have played the Saturday evening game at 18:30, they have failed to win for 19 consecutive games (five draws, 14 defeats)…
Predicted line-up of Schalke:
Schwolow – Mohr – Yoshida – van den Berg – Brunner – Flick – Bülter – Zalazar – Drexler – Polter – Terodde
Last matches played by Schalke:
Bundesliga
03/09/2022 – VfB Stuttgart 1 – 1 Schalke 04
27/08/2022 – Schalke 04 1 – 6 Union Berlin
20/08/2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 0 – 0 Schalke 04
13/08/2022 – Schalke 04 2 – 2 Gladbach
07/08/2022 – 1. FC Köln 3 – 1 Schalke 04
Bochum – Statistics & current form
VfL Bochum showed today’s opponents how it’s done a year ago. As champions of the 2nd Bundesliga, the once-so-grey mouse was promoted to the top flight of German football in the summer of 2021 after an eleven-year abstinence and, as 13th in the final table, was able to stay in the first division.
Now, however, Thomas Reis’s men are facing their confounded second year after promotion, which has been the undoing of many a small club in recent years. In any case, the start to the season could hardly have been worse.
Both the worst offense and the weakest defense
After five league games completed, the Physical Education Club are still waiting for their first point.
All five games were lost, which was primarily due to the desolate defence. With 15 goals already conceded, Thomas Reis’ team is, after all, the Bundesliga’s shooting gallery.
To make matters worse, Bochum also have the worst offensive record in the league. Just like Augsburg, the players from the city of Grönemeyer have scored just three goals in five league games.
Since 347 minutes of play without a goal
Most recently, the 13th-placed team of the pre-season even remained goalless in three consecutive league games. Since squandering a 2:0 lead in Hoffenheim (final score: 2:3), the Blue and Whites have been waiting for another goal for 347 minutes of play.
No wonder that the guest game in the Veltins-Arena, where there have been five defeats in a row in the Bundesliga, is under very bad omens. In any case, the struggling Reis team will be travelling to the venue as clear underdogs.
Predicted line-up of Bochum:
Riemann – Horn – Ordets – Masovic – Gamboa – Stöger – Losilla – Holtmann – Zoller – Asano – Hofmann
Last matches played by Bochum:
Bundesliga
03/09/2022 – VfL Bochum 0 – 2 Werder Bremen
27/08/2022 – SC Freiburg 1 – 0 VfL Bochum
21/08/2022 – VfL Bochum 0 – 7 Bayern Munich
13/08/2022 – Hoffenheim 3 – 2 VfL Bochum
06/08/2022 – VfL Bochum 1 – 2 Mainz 05
Schalke – Bochum Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 42 – 13 – 20
The district duel between Schalke and Bochum has already taken place 75 times and with 42 victories, the Königsblauen lead the direct comparison very clearly. Recently, nine of the last twelve competitive matches went to the Knappen (one draw, two defeats).
Schalke – Bochum tip
In view of Schalke’s series against VfL and Bochum’s bad start, the prediction for Schalke against Bochum goes to the home side. However, S04 is still winless in the 2022/23 season and lacked the decisive punch, especially offensively. The big question is how to score the necessary goals for the first three points in a very passive Schalke game so far. Meanwhile, VfL is also coming with a decidedly tame offensive.
Although the two worst defensive teams in the Bundesliga will be facing each other, we expect a rather tough affair that could well be decided by a single goal.
A lot of value is therefore offered by betting on less than 2.5 goals, for which betting odds of 2.23 are available for Schalke against Bochum.
