On Friday, March 1, 2024, the team that played in the top German division last season will take on a team that is confidently on track to be promoted at the end of this season.
Die Knappen is unlikely to be able to compete for a playoff spot, but it is quite possible to be relegated to the 3. Liga for the first time in their history and to prevent this from happening, they need to win the match against Schalke 04 vs St. Pauli.
The visitors are in the exact opposite situation – the team is having a great season. Kiezkicker dominate the 2.Bundesliga, six points ahead of their nearest rival.
Schalke 04 vs St Pauli: What to Expect From The Teams
Schalke 04
Gelsenkirchen have lost three of their last five matches in the 2. Bundesliga and the team’s head coach’s chair are shaking increasingly under Karel Geraerts, especially when the team is in 14th place.
This is not to say that Schalke 04 fails in absolutely every aspect of the game. Still, even the victories against Eintracht Braunschweig (1:0) and SV Wehen Wiesbaden (1:0) were quite even in terms of the team’s performance, and only Kenan Karaman’s goals helped out in both cases.
However, Die Knappen’s defeats are increasingly striking: 3:0 against Magdeburg and 4:1 against Kaiserslautern are easier to notice than minimal victories against not the strongest teams.
It is increasingly common to hear about the possible bankruptcy of Schalke 04 in the event of relegation to the 3. Liga, so in matches like Schalke 04 vs St. Pauli, the team needs to prove its combat capability and right to future existence.
St. Pauli
Kiezkicker, on the other hand, is experiencing their heyday and a very likely return to the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2010/2011 season.
It is said that the championship is won not by those who beat their main competitors, but by those who did not lose to outsiders, and St. Pauli sweeps everyone in its path.
Of course, Fabian Hürzeler’s men have had their share of defeats, such as a 1:0 loss to Magdeburg in early February, but their away victory against Holstein Kiel (2nd place) only proves once again that the visitors’ championship is not far off.
The match Schalke 04 vs St. Pauli will be the second away game for Kiezkicker, but as practice shows, they don’t care where they win.
Schalke 04 vs St Pauli: Head-to-Head
The two teams were often in different divisions, so they didn’t play each other often, and their status was quite different. However, it was the visitors who won more in the Bundesliga 2.
| Schalke 04 vs St Pauli H2H | |||
| 2023/24 Season | |||
| St. Pauli | 3 | 1 | Schalke 04 |
| 2022/23 Season | |||
| Schalke 04 | 3 | 2 | St. Pauli |
| St. Pauli | 2 | 1 | Schalke 04 |
| 2010/11 Season | |||
| St. Pauli | 0 | 2 | Schalke 04 |
| Schalke 04 | 3 | 0 | St. Pauli |
Schalke 04 vs St. Pauli: Possible Lineups
Both teams are coming into the Schalke 04 – St Pauli match without any serious losses, so nothing should stop us from enjoying a real football spectacle.
| Schalke 04 vs St Pauli Lineups | ||
| S04 | FCSP | |
| Goalkeepers | Marius Müller | Nikola Vasilj |
| Defenders | Thomas Ouwejan, Timo Baumgartl, Marcin Kamiński, Tomáš Kalas, Cédric Brunner | Philipp Treu, Karol Mets, Hauke Wahl, Manolis Saliakas |
| Midfielders | Paul Seguin, Ron Schallenberg, Blendi Idrizi | Eric Smith, Oladapo Afolayan, Jackson Irvine, Marcel Hartel, Connor Metcalfe |
| Forwards | Kenan Karaman, Darko Churlinov | Johannes Eggestein |
Schalke 04 vs St Pauli: Match Prediction
St. Pauli is quite the favorite of this match and bookmakers give very favorable odds for the guests to win this match. Yes, Schalke 04 can try, but it will take a lot of work to stop this machine.
The visitors have won most of their matches, and Fabian Hürzeler’s team often opens the scoring in their matches.
Schalke 04 vs St Pauli Prediction: St. Pauli scored first, or St. Pauli to win the game.
| The Match Predictions | ||
| FCSP scored first (~ odds 1.60) | or | FCSP to win (~ odds 1.82) |
