At the Olympiastadion, Hertha BSC will host Schalke 04 as the hosts will look to keep their good form going as they inch closer to safety.
Hertha did not look very good in their last match as they came away with a nil-nil draw against lowly Stuttgart. They only managed to get six shots off all match with three of them missing the target. Meanwhile, the hosts that match had well over 60% of the possession and got in over ten shots away, with four hitting the target. In order to beat a Schalke team, who are improving, Hertha will need to be at their best on both sides of the pitch.
Although they lost on aggregate to Real Madrid, Schalke put up a fine performance in the second leg of their Champions League tie. Their victory over the defending champions should see their confidence shoot sky high. Klaas-Jan Hunterlaar and Eric Chupo-Moting score a lot of goals for the team, but that does not mean that they are reliant on the duo. They have a great attacking core in Max Meyer, Kevin Boateng, and Marco Hoger, who all produce great opportunities for their teammates. Schalke will have to remain compact at the back if they hope to gather all three points this afternoon.
Expect Schalke to dominate this match from the very first whistle. The visitors have more than enough quality up front to be able to win all three points this afternoon. If Hertha want to steal the victory today, they will have to be at their absolute best. The hosts will need to have possession in their own attacking third and take advantage of their opportunities from set pieces. Schalke are vulnerable, but they will have to exploit those weaknesses.
Either way, this should be an enthralling encounter between two sides who have different priorities at the moment. Since Schalke are now out of the Champions League, they will look to push forward with the league campaign. Meanwhile, Hertha are looking to merely survive this season still in the top flight.