Union Berlin vs Schalke prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-02-18 14:30.
“The madness continues” declared Urs Fischer after Union Berlin’s comeback 2-1 win at RB Leipzig last week. It appears the head coach still cannot quite believe his side are challenging for a first Bundesliga title, but Robin Knoche’s second-half penalty ensured they finished matchday 20 just one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
It’s been a stunning campaign for the Iron Ones, who had been victorious in each of their six matches since returning from the World Cup break until drawing 0-0 with Ajax in Thursday’s Europa League contest. They will be hopeful of an immediate return to winning ways against struggling visitors Schalke, especially after thrashing them 6-1 back in August, in what was their biggest-ever victory in the German top flight.
That early-season defeat played part of what has been a dreadful campaign for the Royal Blues, who sit bottom of the table with only 12 points and face a huge fight to avoid an immediate return to the second tier. They’ve managed to tighten up their defence of late, holding Wolfsburg to a 0-0 draw last time out as part of three successive clean sheets, but it has come at a cost, as Thomas Reis’ side have also failed to score in any of those contests, meaning Schalke have now registered three consecutive goalless draws for the first time in their Bundesliga history!
Schalke’s head of first team football Gerald Asamoah insists “the progress is there,” but those stalemates have stretched a miserable run to one win in 14 league games (D3, L10). As if that’s not bad enough, they head to Stadion An der Alten Försterei as one of only two Bundesliga teams yet to pick up an away win this season, losing six of their nine games on the road, while their total of four away goals is comfortably the lowest in the league.
Key battle: Union defender and goalscorer against Leipzig, Knoche, is looking to improve on a shocking H2H record against Schalke, whom he has beaten just three times in 13 attempts (D2, L8). He may face Royal Blues striker Simon Terodde, who has scored three times in ten clashes with the Iron Ones, but picked up only one victory (D4, L5).
Hot stat: No Schalke away league match this season has seen a goal within the opening 15 minutes.