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Schalke: 5 key players to watch against Fortuna Dusseldorf

By Kevin Parvizi

AUGSBURG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 03: Suat Serdar of FC Schalke 04 and Florian Niederlechner of FC Augsburg battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Schalke 04 at WWK-Arena on November 3, 2019 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
AUGSBURG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 03: Suat Serdar of FC Schalke 04 and Florian Niederlechner of FC Augsburg battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Schalke 04 at WWK-Arena on November 3, 2019 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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BIELEFELD, GERMANY – OCTOBER 29: Benito Raman of Schalke looks on during the DFB Cup second round match between Arminia Bielefeld and FC Schalke 04 at Schueco Arena on October 29, 2019 in Bielefeld, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
BIELEFELD, GERMANY – OCTOBER 29: Benito Raman of Schalke looks on during the DFB Cup second round match between Arminia Bielefeld and FC Schalke 04 at Schueco Arena on October 29, 2019 in Bielefeld, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Forward Benito Raman

It will be interesting to see how David Wagner lines up his Schalke side on Saturday against Fortuna Dusseldorf, because it’s anyone’s guess as to which forwards play and where in the formation they do play.

But until proven otherwise, it looks like Benito Raman will get more chances to show that he can be a standout goal-scorer for the Royal Blues.

Raman had an invisible performance against Augsburg last week after banging home a crucial brace at mid-week in a 3-2 DFB-Pokal win over Arminia Bielefeld, but he has the quality to make a difference. The issue with Raman, who just joined the club, is that he needs to find consistency, especially when it comes to that killer instinct in front of goal.

The pace, athleticism, and drive are all there, though, and Raman could have a breakout game against his former team on Saturday. Revenge games are always fun, so let’s see if the Belgian striker can grab his first Bundesliga goal of the season on Matchday 11.

CB Ozan Kabak

Ozan Kabak made his first start for the Royal Blues last week, as Matija Nastasic was out with an Achilles’ injury and Benjamin Stambouli recently suffered a broken bone in his foot. As expected, Kabak delivered a first-class performance against Augsburg, showing why teams like Arsenal and AC Milan were after his signature this summer.

But Kabak chose to stay in the Bundesliga, and while it’s been difficult to find playing time behind Salif Sane and Stambouli, injuries have made the former Stuttgart star an indispensable part of David Wagner’s starting XI.

Last Saturday, Kabak played excellent defense against Augsburg’s talented attack, and he also grabbed the second equalizing goal by heading brilliantly from a Daniel Caligiuri free kick. Kabak has the quality to make all the difference against Fortuna Dusseldorf this weekend.

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