Our next opponents: Danger lurks in midfield

position

"We're the best team in the Ruhr", chanted the Schalke fans after the 2-1 win against Union Berlin last Friday night. Thanks to the victory against the newcomers, Schalke not only remain just ahead of their local rivals from Dortmund but they also went above FC Bayern into third place thanks to the Leverkusen win in Munich. After a disappointing pre-season, the new coach David Wagner has achieved some brilliant results. Schalke have not lost any of their last five games with the previous defeat back in October. The match in Leverkusen offers the Royal Blues another opportunity to prove their impressive form away from home this term: Schalke have already picked up 13 points on the road with that return only being surpassed by RB Leipzig (16 points albeit with one game more). Schalke’s success to date is rounded off by a place in the DFB Cup Round of 16. They are at home to Hertha Berlin at the beginning of February.

personnel

Schalke's current success is mostly associated with David Wagner. The coach took over the helm at the Royal Blues in the summer and he quickly secured support from the fans with his open and emotional approach. And the style of play also goes down well with the supporters. Wagner prefers a significantly more attacking approach than his predecessor Dominique Tedesco. He relies on pace and dynamism, pressing and counter pressing, and he is open to varying the team's tactics. In addition to the coach, there are primarily two midfield players who have proved key to the success of Schalke as a group: On the one hand, there is Amine Harit who has made the most of his potential in his third season with the Royal Blues combining brilliant technique with the strong desire to get forward. Harit is not only the top goalscorer but also the best provider at Schalke this season. On the other hand, Suat Serdar has stood out as a playmaker and box-to-box player. Serdar has quality both on and off the ball and in nearly every game he earns top marks from the sporting press. The winner in the 2-1 victory against Union Berlin last week was his fifth strike of the season – outstanding for a central midfield player.

problems

The fact that midfielders like Harit and Serdar have scored the goals for the Royal Blues reveals a peculiar situation: Only one goal has been scored by a true central striker: Ahmed Kutucu, and 19-year-old talent mostly playing as a sub. The two regular strikers Mark Uth and Guido Burgstaller have yet to score their first goals of the season even after matchday 13. Wagner has therefore opted to play different players up front and winger Benito Raman has been somewhat more successful with his finishing with a goal against Union. There have also been problems at the back as well as in attack: Wagner is missing a key player in defender Salif Sané who was in outstanding form until his knee injury the beginning of November. As Benjamin Stambouli is also ruled out for the rest of the first half of the season with injury, there is not much cover in central defence.

potential

After mixed fortunes in recent years, Schalke 04 are now geared up for sustainable success in the future with a popular figure as coach, a real sense of change in the club and several highly talented youngsters in the squad like Harit, Serdar (both 22), potential star striker Kutucu (19) and central defender Ozan Kabak (19). This Schalke team including the coach is capable of going a long way and could in the future tap the potential that this professionally organised club with its great popularity already possesses.

prediction

Schalke are looking incredibly solid under Wagner and have crept up to the third place. Given strong competition, it will be difficult, but not impossible, to maintain that position until the end of the season. The quality of the squad should be enough to ensure returning to the European stage and qualification for the Champions League is also realistic – perhaps ahead of Borussia Dortmund to claim the title of "the best team in the Ruhr."