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FC Schalke predicted XI: Borussia Dortmund and the Revierderby await

By Josh Sippie

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 20: Weston McKennie of FC Schalke 04 looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Veltins-Arena on September 20, 2019 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 20: Weston McKennie of FC Schalke 04 looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Veltins-Arena on September 20, 2019 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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The Revierderby is upon us again. Here is how FC Schalke will likely line up to counter Borussia Dortmund and get back on top of this rivalry.

FC Schalke, Weston McKenni (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
FC Schalke, Weston McKenni (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

FC Schalke had an opportunity to go top of the league last weekend. Same as the weekend before. They’ve been hanging around the top of the table for weeks now, unable to apply the finishing touches to take that final leap to the top.

Which sounds kind of like their attacking problems. They can build and build, but they can’t finish.

So rather than go top, FC Schalke gave up a late, equalizing goal to FC Koln, then proceeded to lose to Hoffenheim this past weekend and now sit seventh in the table, behind Borussia Dortmund for the first time in weeks.

But still just two points from the top. And they already spanked RB Leipzig away from home, so the upcoming Revierderby is another chance for FC Schalke to prove that they are, in fact, for real. Which, let’s be honest, you should all know already.

That said, the Revierderby is always it’s own beast. One can’t help but remember the thrilling 4-4 draw in 2017, or the ludicrous 4-2 win in the most recent edition. All in all, FC Schalke hold the advantage in the last six match-ups, claiming nine points compared to Dortmund’s six.

And with a potential flip of positioning on the line, maybe even a trip to the top of the table, let’s look at how the Royal Blues will probably line up.

Given that David Wagner does not have a clear and set preferred formation, and he has varied wildly, it’s hard to predict what shape he will go with, but given that, when healthy, he deployed a 4-4-2 against RB Leipzig, I’m going to opt for more of the same here, though if it ends up looking more like a 4-2-3-1, I wouldn’t be surprised.

We start in goal.

Keeper

No reason to change things up here. Despite the muddied future of Alexander Nubel, he still provides plenty of point-saving heroics to invest full faith in, even if Markus Schubert is the long-term solution, that doesn’t mean we have to rush the short-term.

On to the fullbacks

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