CB Matija Nastasic
Matija Nastasic had a couple of key interventions against Bayern, but, by and large, he was alarmingly poor. For the most part, Nastasic has been a solid center back for the Royal Blues when in the starting lineup over the past couple of months, but last week’s game against Bayern called into question whether he should start over young loan acquisition Jean-Clair Todibo while Benjamin Stambouli and Salif Sane remain injured.
Facing Dodi Lukebakio and Javairo Dilrosun on a Hertha attack capable of scoring goals from nothing, Nastasic will be tested. This will be a big game for him, knowing that Todibo is awaiting an opportunity.
ST Michael Gregoritsch
Schalke’s newest “half nine”, Michael Gregoritsch went from a dream debut against Gladbach to an absolutely disastrous, anonymous performance against Bayern.
Gregoritsch’s play was understandably dependent on how his teammates performed, with Schalke’s overall performance likewise being night and day. But Schalke need to see more positivity from Gregoritsch on the ball. He needs to be the man creating the chances and disrupting defensive lines.
With Raman back in the lineup, look for Gregoritsch to get back on track with a big game against Hertha. As Josh Sippie wrote, the Gregoritsch we saw against Gladbach is the Gregoritsch we will soon be accustomed to seeing.