Verdict: Fortuna Dusseldorf draw no bet
Best Odds: 5/6
Bookmaker: Bet365
In a real battle between two sides desperate to pick up what is a much-needed victory in midweek, Fortuna Dusseldorf will host a struggling Schalke at an empty Merkur Spiel-Arena on Wednesday night.
Fortuna Dusseldorf
Starting with the hosts, despite dominating large spells of proceedings away at Koln over the weekend, Uwe Rösler’s men saw all their hard work undone after shipping two late goals and having to settle for a point. Now drawing their last four Bundesliga matches on the bounce, the former Brentford boss sees his side open Wednesday’s meeting sat three points adrift of safety in the relegation play-off spot. With a growing reputation for their inability to see out matches, the Whites also came crashing out of the DFP Pokal away at lower league Saarbrücken prior to the enforced break. With just a single top-flight victory to their name since opening up 2020, Rösler will also be calling on his side to make some much-needed improvements on home soil. Including what was a thumping 4-1 defeat at home against Borussia Monchengladbach, Fortuna called also only mark their return from the break with a sluggish 0-0 draw against rock-bottom Paderborn.
Team News
Aside from goalkeeper Zack Steffen who is still dealing with a knee issue, Fortuna boss Uwe Rösler has a full squad available to him ahead of Wednesday’s must-win meeting.
Schalke
As for the visitors, putting in what was another woeful display over the weekend, Schalke boss David Wagner finds his position at the Veltins Arena hanging by a thread. Completely blown away by fellow strugglers Augsburg on Sunday and hit with a 3-0 drumming at home, the former Huddersfield coach has seen his side continue to freefall away from the European spots. With the mood in the Blues’ camp at a season-low, Schalke have collected just a single point out of their last five Bundesliga appearances and have remarkably failed to land a single victory in their previous nine outings, a run that stems back to January 17th. Along with being hit with back-to-back drummings on their travels, including an embarrassing 3-0 hammering at Koln prior to the break, Wagner will undoubtedly be concerned by his side’s glaring issues in the final third. Drawing another blank over the weekend and in the midst of their worst attacking run in recent memory, Schalke have shockingly failed to record a single away goal since opening 2020.
Team News
Blues boss David Wagner will be out Harit (ligament), Mascarell (groin), Serdar (shin), Todibo (ankle) on Wednesday night, and Benjamin Stambouli is still struggling to find match fitness.
Key Factors to Consider
- Fortuna Dusseldorf have drawn their last four Bundesliga matches on the bounce.
- Three of the Whites’ last four Bundesliga matches on home soil have also ended in a draw.
- Wednesday’s guests have lost four of their last five top-flight outings and have failed to win any of their last nine Bundesliga appearances.
- Schalke have failed to record a single goal in any of their last five Bundesliga matches away from the Veltins Arena.
- Including a 3-3 draw between the two sides earlier in the season, five of the last six matchups between Fortuna and Schalke have seen over 2.5 goals.
Conclusion
While the two sides may have played out a six-goal thriller back in November, Wednesday could be a cagey encounter between two sides desperate to pick up three points. Despite throwing away a two-goal lead away at top-half contenders Koln over the weekend, Fortuna should see Schalke’s arrival as a real chance to try and find a route out of the drop zone. Blown away thanks to a 3-0 drumming at home against Augsburg, David Wagner’s side are in the midst of their worst run in recent memory and could be in for another upset in midweek.
Verdict: Fortuna Dusseldorf draw no bet
Best Odds: 5/6
Bookmaker: Bet365
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