Bayern Munich and FC Schalke facing crucial early-season duel

Bayern Munich and FC Schalke facing crucial early-season duel

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It is only week two of the new season, but Bundesliga fans already have an important fixture to sink their teeth into.

FC Schalke take on Bayern Munich at the Veltins-Arena on Friday and it promises to be an intriguing contest.

The Royal Blues have yet again lost an important player in Leroy Sane who moved to Manchester City, but Markus Weinzierl has used the Premier League cash to revitalise his squad. The Ruhr club have picked up a number of experienced names, including Naldo from VfL Wolfsburg.

Few have expectations of Schalke this season, but their squad enhancements are a clear sign they are ready to work their way up as high as they can on the Bundesliga table. There will be no better way for them to prove themselves than against Bayern Munich, especially after defeat on matchday one against Frankfurt.


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The Royal Blues will need to take advantage of the home crowd to try and catch Bayern off-guard as the Bavarians are still in the process of adapting to life under a new manager. A win or even a point against Die Roten would be an enormous confidence boost and could give their season the kick-start that it desperately needs.

Their red opposition will also be desperately looking for a win for very different reasons. Schalke will be Bayern’s first ‘big’ opponent in this year’s Bundesliga and they need to establish their dominance as soon as possible.

On top of this, Carlo Ancelotti will want to put his side on a winning streak to make their life as comfortable as possible this season, so dispatching Schalke with no worries is going to be his ultimate goal.

Later in the matchday, Borussia Dortmund will visit newly promoted RB Leipzig, where they are expected to win. If Bayern fail to collect three points against Schalke, Dortmund will happily take first place on the table, something that Ancelotti does not want to have to deal with in his first season.

This match has all the hallmarks of a big one between two proud clubs. A win for Schalke will see them regain some pride and confidence in their search for Champions League places, while a triumph for Bayern will be enough to set them on a destructive winning streak.

The key in this match will be Schalke’s defence, as is often the case when Bayern’s might looms. Having the home advantage, the Royal Blues will have to make their opponents work to get past their back line and with captain Benedikt Hoewedes as their main central-defender, they will give their opposition a hard time.

With Sane gone, Schalke lack a strong element of their counter-attacking system, but their goalscoring ability is far from neutered. There is more than enough potential in the squad to allow the home side to put a goal past their former goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but it will need all hands on deck to pull it off.

With Schalke so desperate for a win, it is extremely important for Bayern to keep their cool. There is little doubt that the home team will not be afraid to be aggressive in any way possible to keep its home advantage, something the Bavarians cannot allow to interfere with their game.

Ancelotti is renowned for his ability to calm his team and there is no better way to put this to the test then to play a game in one of Germany’s most hostile grounds.

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