Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Schalke
Having lost their last two league matches, Schalke 04 will be looking to bounce to winning ways when they face FC Augsburg at the SGL Arena on Sunday afternoon in a Bundesliga clash, kick-off at 15h30 (CAT).
Schalke will want to recover from a disastrous week when they lost both of their league matches. The Royal Blues were beaten 4-1 by Nurnberg last Wednesday and then went on to lose the Ruhr derby four days later to league champions and leaders Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at home.
Now Huub Stevens’ men face Augsburg in a match where a win is vital. Schalke now find themselves just a point behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who are currently chasing them for third spot in the league which is the last automatic entry into the Champions League group stages.
For Augsburg this encounter presents a chance to escape being dragged into the relegation battle. Augsburg find themselves in 15th position, a spot higher than the drop zone spot but they are four points ahead of FC Köln. Augsburg will be looking to at least get four points from their remaining three matches.
The last time these two sides met, Schalke recorded a 3-1 win at the Veltins Arena last December.
The men to look out for in the Royal Blues side is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar; it’s impossible to choose anyone else with the Dutchman second in the Bundesliga scoring charts. The striker will undoubtedly be looking to add to his already impressive tally against a team who have struggled this season.
Koo Ja-Cheol will be carrying the home side’s hopes. Neglected by Wolfsburg, the South Korean midfielder has hit peak form since his move to Bavaria in mid-season. Now deployed in a central role, Koo is now being given the chance to show off his true strengths.