Eintracht to break the sixteen year jinx?

Schalke started the year on a great note by beating Ingolstadt 1-0 at home last week and will be going into the next match with good morale. Before that win, they had gone four games in the Bundesliga and five games in all competitions without a win and must have heaved a sigh of relief after the final whistle last weekend.

Their last win notwithstanding, they still have a lot of work to do if they are going to mount a challenge for a European place next season. So far, they have been off their usual stride and will be hoping to build on their last win with a win against Eintracht Frankfurt, and in the process close the gap between them and the visitors to four points.

They will also have an eye on their next fixture which is against the league leaders. A win against Eintracht Frankfurt will give them the needed morale going into the match against Bayern Munich and soften the blow of a loss. Schalke have a good record against Frankfurt at the Veltins Arena with twenty-one wins, fifteen draws and only five losses; they have also not lost to Frankfurt since 2000, and will be hoping their good luck continues. On the other hand, they lost to them in the first leg of the fixture this season, and have failed to win any meeting with any of the top six teams so far this season.

Eintracht Frankfurt, on the other hand, will be travelling to the Veltins Arena on Friday determined to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Leipzig in that last match. They currently sit sixth in Bundesliga rankings and will need a win to ensure that FC Koln doesn’t get a chance to oust them from their position.

Also, only two points separate them from third place, currently occupied by Hoffenheim, a win for them could see them moving up on the table depending on other results, especially as Hoffenheim travel to Leipzig. However, past outcomes of this fixture do not portend good news for them, as they have not beaten Schalke at the Veltins Arena since 2000.

Defensively, Eintracht Frankfurt have been solid, they have only conceded fifteen goals this season with the three goals they conceded last season being the heaviest of them. Their defensive record is the joint second best in the league, so they may be a little too tough for Schalke to break down. However, they will be making the trip to the Veltins Arena without their first choice keeper, and that could compromise them.

On the strength of previous results at home, Schalke look a good bet for a win, but this season is turning out to be a bit different from previous ones, so we might just witness a different outcome.