Schalke 04 vs Holstein Kiel
FreeWe’re always looking for new recruits to help us so please click here if you want to find out more about the ways you can help us (e.g. local input, watching games)!
There are 6 bankers & 6 value tips in the Members Section today so feel free to sign up here to see everything, including our exclusive AFCON 2022 coverage!
Today’s free tip is in the German Bundesliga 2 encounter between Schalke 04 and Holstein Kiel.
I’m not 100% ‘there’ yet with Schalke 04. I do think that a lot of the things they’ve done pre-season (and during the campaign) are for the long-term good of the club, and I agree with most of them. Grammozis as manager, though? He does nothing for me, and I can’t help but feel that the club missed a trick by not getting Tedesco back to manage them, who has now gone to manage RB Leipzig instead.
They’ve swooped to sign Vindheim and Lode in the mid-season transfer window – both Norwegians – in a bid to strengthen their defence. If it means Sane won’t play, then it’s a win in my book. I’m not really sure that was the main problem though. Not identifying who the number one goalkeeper is a bigger problem, and having no replacement for Terodde is an even bigger problem.
Some German fans joke that Terodde just joined Schalke 04 so he can continue his push to be the all-time leading goal-scorer at this level. Whichever way you paint it though, this fella scores goals in the Bundesliga 2. In Schalke 04’s case though, it’s almost a negative because when he’s out, they don’t seem to know what to do. Without that reference point, there’s no real way for them to score unless they’re facing a team that they can legitimately sit back and counter against, and as one of the top tier teams in the division, those opportunities are few and far between.
As it transpires, Terodde is now back from injury and raring to go, but it doesn’t mean he won’t get injured again. He’s getting on a bit now, you know? In other words, I think Schalke 04 had other priorities that needed looking at. Still, these are just observations; they’re still a good team underneath it all, even with Drexler etc. out. They should dominate possession in this contest, and if they do, I’d expect Terodde and Zalazar to ensure that they win. I mean, it’s going to be a real “ouch” moment if they fail to score against one of the worst defences in the division.
Naturally, not all of my confidence in this pick stems from Schalke 04 themselves though; that would be very silly. No, Holstein Kiel play their part as they’ve got Covid-19 in their camp, meaning that key players like Holtby, Reese, Neumann, and van den Bergh all miss out, each of which has a serious impact e.g. Holtby brings energy, van den Bergh commitment, Reese creativity etc.
The German media are unsure if Kiel will roll with a back three or back four in this game because of the absence of van den Bergh and Neumann. There’s even talk of new American youngster Carrera debutising because of it. Either way, it’s not good news for a team that has been very inconsistent this season, and one that seems hell-bent on conceding in every single game. I like Holstein Kiel and their attacking football a lot, but this is not a good time for them.
I do think that they’ve got threats at the other end though. Pichler had a really strong end to 2021, Porath has played well, and both Arp and Skrzybski have a lot more to offer than they’ve generally shown. Muhling and Mees get stuck in too. Without Reese though, they do tend to lack that certain dynamism. Furthermore, with the players out that I’ve listed above, I can’t see the trip going all that favourably today. I do like Holstein Kiel though. Despite an unconvincing campaign, their football always looks more fluid and natural than Schalke 04’s. Given what they’re up against though, I think they’re in trouble.
For my money, the home win is worth backing here.
Verdict: Schalke 04 to win at 83/100.
Saturday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Antwerp vs Sporting Charleroi
AS Eupen vs Cercle Brugge
RSC Anderlecht vs Standard de Liege
Racing Genk vs Germinal Beerschot
English Premier League:
Liverpool vs Brentford
West Ham United vs Leeds United
French Ligue 1:
Stade Rennais vs Girondins de Bordeaux
Lorient vs Angers SCO
AS Monaco vs Clermont Foot 38
Stade de Reims vs Metz
Racing Club Strasbourg vs Montpellier HSC
Troyes vs Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique de Marseille vs Lille OSC
German Bundesliga:
Augsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Arminia Bielefeld vs Greuther Furth
German Bundesliga 2:
Schalke 04 vs Holstein Kiel
Heidenheim vs Ingolstadt
SV Sandhausen vs Jahn Regensburg
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Hapoel Hadera vs MS Ashdod
Ironi Kiryat Shmona vs Beitar Jerusalem
Italian Serie A:
Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona
Venezia vs Empoli
AS Roma vs Cagliari
Atalanta Bergamo vs Internazionale
Italian Serie B:
Monza vs Perugia
Pordenone vs Lecce
SPAL vs Benevento
Dutch Eredivisie:
FC Utrecht vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam
FC Groningen vs PSV Eindhoven
Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Sparta Rotterdam
Fortuna Sittard vs AZ Alkmaar
Portuguese Liga 1:
Santa Clara vs Tondela
Vizela vs Sporting Clube de Portugal
Famalicao vs Pacos de Ferreira
Belenenses vs FC Porto
Portuguese Liga 2:
CD Nacional de Madeira vs SL Benfica II
Spanish Primera Liga:
Elche vs Villarreal
Spanish Super Cup:
Real Madrid vs Athletic Club
Spanish Copa del Rey:
Baleares vs Valencia
Turkish Super Lig:
Altay vs Alanyaspor
Giresunspor vs Kasimpasa
Hatayspor vs Galatasaray
Enjoy your free betting tips!