Our prediction for this Bundesliga match:
After sharing the spoils with both Koln and Borussia M’gladbach, Schalke will be aiming to pick up vital three points in the survival battle when they face Wolfsburg on Friday. Die Knappen have been showing signs of improvement of late, but they need to start winning on a regular basis if they are to avoid relegation to 2. Bundesliga. Simon Terodde should continue to lead the line for the hosts, while all Danny Latza, Sebastian Polter, Justin Heekeren, and Sepp van den Berg remain in the recovery room.
The Wolves, on the other hand, aim to make amends for back-to-back losses to Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich. Since Wolfsburg suffered a dip in form, we are tempted to put our money on Schalke, who are desperate to escape the relegation zone. As for the visiting side, Jakub Kaminski is widely expected to replace Maxence Lacroix in the starting XI.
Highlighted Player (Alexander Schwolow):
One of the key cogs in Freiburg’s push for Bundesliga survival in 2017/18, Alexander Schwolow remains remembered for his impressive displays against some of league’s biggest sides which proved decisive in his team’s relegation battle.
A product of Freiburg academy, Alexander Schwolow was forced to work for his place under the spotlight and it wasn’t until his loan spell in the Third Division with Armenia Bielefeld in 2014 that Schwolow earned his place between the sticks at his parent club. His stock went through a rapid rise in 2016/17 campaign when Alexander Schwolow played a great part in his team’s seventh-place finish and a place in the UEFA Europa league qualification.
Schwolow’s impressive goalkeeping exploits got his name written in the notebook of some of Europe’s biggest clubs and it is fair to say we could see his move abroad in foreseeable future. Alexander Schwolow represented Germany in U18, U19 and U20 categories but has yet to earn a senior cap.
Highlighted Team (Wolfsburg):
Wolfsburg are a German football club founded in the aftermath of the World War II (1945). Die Wolfe (The Wolves) wear green and white shirts and they play their home games at Volkswagen Arena. The capacity of the stadium is 30,000 and it was opened on 13 December, 2002.
It is well known that German car manufacturer Volkswagen are the club’s main sponsors. Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga trophy in 2009 and the likes of Edin Dzeko, Grafite and Zvjezdan Misimovic were part of the club’s golden generation.
You should bear in mind that Grafite and Dzeko scored 54 goals between each other in the 2008/2009 Bundesliga campaign and that the team clinched the trophy thanks to a 5-1 win over Werder Bremen on 23 May, 2009. Die Wolfe won the German Cup trophy in 2015, with the team beating star-studded Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the title game. Wolfsburg are a team that has no bitter rivals in German football.