FC Schalke 04: 5 key players vs. Hertha in the DFB Pokal

FC Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin played out a goalless draw at the Olympiastadion on Friday, and here are five players who will need to shine on Tuesday in order to ensure the Royal Blues have a place in the quarterfinals.

Friday’s match between FC Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin wasn’t as entertaining as expected. Although Amine Harit, Benito Raman, and Michael Gregoritsch were in the lineup together, Schalke’s attack struggled to create clear chances, posting only five shots on target. But they fared out better than their competition, as Jürgen Klinsmann‘s side could not muster a single shot on target.

On Tuesday, the Royal Blues will face Hertha again. But this time, they’ll do so at the Veltins Arena in a DFB Pokal Round of 16 match.

Here are five players to watch closely this week as Schalke look to punch their ticket into the DFB Pokal quarterfinals.

ST Benito Raman

Benito Raman’s absence was felt on Matchday 19 when Schalke lost 5-0 to Bayern Munich, as they struggled to press and create chances in the final third, absorbing massive amounts of pressure from Die Roten in the process.

As usual, Raman worked hard against Hertha, but he struggled to get involved on the ball and misplaced too many passes. He didn’t provide any real threat against Hertha’s defense, as Dedryck Boyata and Jordan Torunarigha kept him under wraps.

Raman will need to be stellar on Tuesday in order for Schalke to win this game. His first breakout match of the season came in a DFB Pokal win over Arminia Bielefeld, so hopefully he can recapture that magic in the competition’s third round of play.