#B04S04 – Facts and stats

BACK TO WINNING WAYS

That applies to both teams over recent weeks. While the Werkself picked up three important points at Hamburg after the 2-0 defeat to Hertha Berlin, Schalke also returned to winning ways: With just one win and one draw from the last five games, Domenico Tedesco's team succeeded in earning three points with a 2-1 win against TSG Hoffenheim – putting them back in touch with the  positions that guarantee European football next term.  

RECORD FAVOURs THE Werkself

The 67 Bundesliga games between the two clubs from North Rhine Westphalia have seen Bayer 04 run out as winners almost twice as often. From a Werkself perspective that is 30 wins, 20 draws and 17 defeats against the Royal Blues  – Bayer 04 have only clocked up more wins against VfB Stuttgart (34). Schalke 04 have not fared well on their visits to Leverkusen – with eight wins and seven draws  against 18 victories for the Werkself. A direct comparison reveals an impressive fact in terms of goals per game with 3.01 goals on average, just five goalless draws (the same also applies to the BayArena this season so far with three goals on average being scored in each Bundesliga fixture).

Goals guaranteed?

It looks likely the ball will find the back of the net on Sunday.On the one hand,  the Werkself have only failed to score twice this season and, on the other, Schalke have also proved to be effective in front of goal recently: The team from Gelsenkirchen scored for the seventeenth Bundesliga game in succession against TSG Hoffenheim  – that run started in the first half of the season in the 1-1 draw with Bayer 04. Nevertheless, the Tedesco team have not proved to be particularly strong away from home. Schalke have scored eleven goals in the last eight away games in the league but also conceded twelve. The club from the Ruhr have only won once in their previous games on the road (three draws, two defeats).

Bailey's on fire

Leon Bailey is having a great season with the Werkself – with the 20-year-old Jamaican once again being a s cool as ice when he netted the opener against HSV. On matchday 6, in the last meeting with FC Schalke, Bailey scored his first Bundesliga goal. After that he struck a rich vein of form: In his last 17 league outings, the striker has been involved in 14 goals (nine goals, five assist) – only Bayern's Robert Lewandowski (21) and the former Dortmund player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (16) have more goals and assists this term.

TWO Werkself PROS on verge of records

Charles Aránguiz has also been on top form in recent weeks. The Chilean has been at Bayer 04 for two and a half years. The 28-year-old is about to make his 50th Bundesliga appearance (five goals, seven assists). He would have reached that milestone earlier if he hadn't torn his Achilles shortly after arriving at Leverkusen that saw him sidelined for six months. His team-mate Kevin Volland could finally score his 50th Bundesliga goal on Sunday. The Werkself top goalscorer has been waiting for five games to score his eleventh of the season in spite of great commitment and effort up front.

SUNDAY AGAIN AND AGAIN

The Werkself have played five times on Sunday in the current campaign. Herrlich's team have not lost any of them (three wins, two draws). The opponents from the  Ruhr have played four Sunday games this season with Schalke picking up seven points along the way (two wins, one draw, one defeat). However, the Royal Blues do not particularly like playing on Sundays – at least not away from home: the last twelve Sunday away games have only produced one victory for Schalke. The other games ended in three draws and eight defeats. And this weekend could see a fourth loss on the road in succession. S04 have lost the previous three away games and failed to score in the last two. Come on the Werkself!

Retsos faces suspension

Panos Retsos replaced Jonathan Tah (flu) in central defence last week and he produced an impressive performance. Retsos also picked up a fourth yellow card of the season at the  Volkspark Stadium. He is the only Werkself player in danger of being suspended in the  Schalke match. Schalke 04 have four players on four bookings in Matija Nastasic, Naldo, Guido Burgstaller and Daniel Caligiuri. Schalke do have Max Meyer available again for the game against the Werkself following his one-match ban that saw him miss the Hoffenheim game. Moreover: This is the second time this term that Siebert has been in charge of a Werkself match – that was the 3-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in the first game after the winter break. That was the first time Bayer 04 have lost with Siebert in charge of proceedings (he has officiated  in seven games involving  Bayer 04 – there have been four wins, two draws and the defeat against Bayern. He has also issued 14 yellow cards and two reds against Bayer 04). 

#W11Fantalk with Julian Baumgartlinger

Two former stars meet before the game: World Cup winner Dieter Herzog and DFB Cup winner Markus Happe are guests in the roundtable discussion in the Schwadbud (East Stand). After the game, Werkself pro Julian Baumgartlinger will join the #W11Fantalk to discuss the  90 minutes on the pitch with stadium announcer Tobias Ufer, fan liaison officer Rüdiger Vollborn or Frank Linde plus a supporter. If you have any questions for the Austrian please send them in via Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #W11Fantalk. It kicks off at 18.15 CET – and is broadcast live on www.bayer04.de on our Facebook page.