Prediction: Bayern Munich vs Schalke

Prediction: Bayern Munich win

Best Odds: 1/10

Bookmaker: 888sport

In the wake of the new domestic season getting underway in England, all of the other top leagues across the European elite will be getting underway sooner rather than later. Tomorrow we will see the turn of the Bundesliga as the Champions of Europe, Bayern Munich, return to action when they host Schalke. A few years ago this would’ve been viewed as a clash between two clubs who are pretty much on par in terms of ability, but now, it could rightly be seen as a David vs Goliath encounter.

Bayern Munich

After claiming yet another Bundesliga crown, Bayern were able to add the DFB Cup to their collection as they ran out 4-2 winners in the final against Bayer Leverkusen. They went on to edge past Marseille in an end of July friendly before their UEFA Champions League journey resumed. They tore through Chelsea 4-1, absolutely embarrassed Barcelona 8-2, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Lyon and then saw off the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Team News

The hero of the UCL final, Kingsley Coman, has been forced into quarantine and will miss the opening game of the league season. Nianzou has a muscle injury and will probably miss out whereas Thiago is finally on the verge of leaving Bayern to join Liverpool. Elsewhere, Sane should make his full debut against his boyhood club.

Schalke

Schalke would prefer people don’t talk about the end to their last Bundesliga campaign too much and it’s not exactly hard to understand why. They lost a close game to Werder Bremen at the end of May before two decent enough 1-1 draws against 1. FC Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen, but from there, they struggled. They ended the season with three really disappointing losses against Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and Freiburg.

Team News

Sane and Mascarell are the big doubts for this game but there are a few new faces that Schalke could turf out in an attempt to pick up a surprise result. Those new faces are Paciencia on loan from Frankfurt and the experienced Ibisevic up top.

Factors to Consider

• In their last meeting back in March, Bayern Munich beat Schalke 1-0.
• Bayern have won their last 22 games in all competitions.
• Schalke have drawn two and lost four of their last six games.
• Bayern have scored 21 goals and conceded five in their last six games.
• Schalke have scored four goals and conceded 13 in their last six games.

Conclusion

Bayern are riding an absolutely huge wave of momentum from their Champions League triumph, and we can’t picture anything other than a one-sided demolition in this one. The Champions of Germany are more than capable of pushing out to a comfortable early lead before letting their foot off the gas, but that doesn’t appear to be their style nowadays. We’re backing them to really make a statement to the rest of the league by blowing Schalke out of the water to open up the new campaign.

Prediction: Bayern Munich win

Best Odds: 1/10

Bookmaker: 888sport