Schalke 04 host Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night with the away side knowing a win will return them to the top of the Bundesliga for that evening at least.
Marco Rose’s side had led the league for the majority of the season but a defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg before the international break allowed RB Leipzig to move into the top spot.
Schalke too are not out of the title race, just seven points adrift of Julian Nagelmann’s side, with David Wagner has brought about something of a revival at the Gelsenkirchen club. A win on Friday would put Schalke into fourth, level on points with Bayern Munich and just two points behind their opponents, so it is all to play for on Friday.
Team news
Schalke go into this match with a series of absentees, including Salif Sane, Benjamin Stambouli and Weston McKennie, all of whom were regulars before they were ruled out. Goalkeeper Alexander Nubel will also miss the match through suspension.
Monchengladbach on the other hand only have one player ruled out of this match, Thorben Musel, although he has been out since August.
Elsewhere, Stefan Lainer is one yellow card away from a suspension.
Schalke 04 vs Borussia M Prediction
This is a vital game for both sides, with both still harboring hopes of winning the Bundesliga title this season.
While that is perhaps more unrealistic for Schalke at this point, Champions League football is certainly up for grabs and defeat to a direct rival can be very damaging.
Schalke have been strong at home this season, losing just once, while Monchengladbach have been far stronger at Borussia Park than they have away from it.
However, Monchengladbach remain one of the best sides in the Bundesliga on current form and should have benefitted from the winter break with their form having worsened in the weeks leading up to it.
Expect a tight, fiercely fought game that ends 1-1.
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