Pressure is again on Roberto di Matteo after being humbled 5-0 by Chelsea in midweek, though they won't find many more challenging tests than Mainz this weekend.
On paper it should be an easy victory for the Royal Blues, but Mainz, with just three wins this season, and without a win in four, have seven draws to their name in just 12 matches. This could well be a frustrating afternoon for di Matteo’s men.
It's been a scrappy start to the season for Schalke, with dogged and impressive 1-0 and 3-2 victories at home to Augsburg and Wolfsburg respectively, either side of a demoralising 2-0 loss to relegation threatened Freiburg in recent weeks. The hammering in Gelsenkirchen mid-week will do nothing to help their confidence, but five Bundesliga home wins in a row will be something the Italian will echo to his players no doubt.
The season has been hard to judge so far for Mainz, they have prevented losses to Gladbach and Leverkusen already on the road, though have picked up just one point from two games against Freiburg and Werder Bremen at home – leaving Christian Heidel frustrated as he attempted to replicate their seventh place finish from last season.
Julian Draxler, Leon Goretzka, Julian Matip and Chinedu Obasi are still out for the home side, and the young Max Meyer will be hoping to improve on his stagnant start to the season. Julian Baumgartlinger is the main casualty for the visitors, and the home support will be hoping the likes of Klass-Jan Huntelaar can exploit a defence that has conceded nearly 75% of their goals on the road so far.
Last years meeting ended 0-0, but neutrals will be hoping that form follows Schalke’s home form, where there has been 18 goals in the last four games. With just one point separating the teams in the Bundesliga table after 12 games, it is bound to be a close encounter, though one that is no doubt more important to a struggling home side.