Mainz 05 and Schalke 04 will go toe to toe in the Bundesliga matchday 21 curtain raiser at the Coface Arena. The sides have identical records since the league resumed after the winter break, both currently on the back of two consecutive wins after facing defeats on matchday 18. As a result, Schalke have crept into the Champions League places, whilst Mainz find themselves just three points behind, in seventh place. A two-goal win for Mainz would see them leapfrog the Royal Blues, at least for one day, into the top four, whilst any win for Schalke would suffice for them to overtake third-placed Hertha BSC.
With six points from their last two matchdays, both sides go into the game in good form and in high spirits. Schalke are on their best run since September 2015, when they beat Mainz, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Hamburg – coincidentally their next four opponents. The home side are also in something of a purple patch, keeping a clean sheet in their last two games. A third consecutive win without conceding would be a first for the Zerofivers in the Bundesliga. Their improved defensive form is undoubtedly the key factor in their recent resurgence: They let in 19 goals in their opening eleven games, but have since conceded only five times in their last nine. No side in the league has allowed fewer in the same period.
History favours the visiting side on Friday night, with Schalke winning eleven, drawing four and losing four of the 19 previous meetings between the teams. Mainz's home record against Schalke doesn't make for prettier reading, either – they've lost four, drawn two and won just one of their last seven against the Royal Blues in front of their own fans. However, their recent Bundesliga home form does give reason for optimism: They've taken ten points from their last four games at the Coface Arena, conceding just once in the period.
A familiar face returns
Friday evening's game will see Johannes Geis, who signed for Schalke in the summer, return to his former club. The €12m that Mainz received for him remains the highest transfer fee paid to the Zerofivers in the club's entire history. The 22-year-old curled in a sumptuous free kick last weekend as Schalke beat Wolfsburg 3-0, and Royal Blue fans will be hoping for a repeat performance at the Coface Arena on Friday night when he meets his former teammates.
Mainz 05 and Schalke 04 will go toe to toe in the Bundesliga matchday 21 curtain raiser at the Coface Arena. The sides have identical records since the league resumed after the winter break, both currently on the back of two consecutive wins after facing defeats on matchday 18. As a result, Schalke have crept into the Champions League places, whilst Mainz find themselves just three points behind, in seventh place. A two-goal win for Mainz would see them leapfrog the Royal Blues, at least for one day, into the top four, whilst any win for Schalke would suffice for them to overtake third-placed Hertha BSC.
With six points from their last two matchdays, both sides go into the game in good form and in high spirits. Schalke are on their best run since September 2015, when they beat Mainz, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Hamburg – coincidentally their next four opponents. The home side are also in something of a purple patch, keeping a clean sheet in their last two games. A third consecutive win without conceding would be a first for the Zerofivers in the Bundesliga. Their improved defensive form is undoubtedly the key factor in their recent resurgence: They let in 19 goals in their opening eleven games, but have since conceded only five times in their last nine. No side in the league has allowed fewer in the same period.
History favours the visiting side on Friday night, with Schalke winning eleven, drawing four and losing four of the 19 previous meetings between the teams. Mainz's home record against Schalke doesn't make for prettier reading, either – they've lost four, drawn two and won just one of their last seven against the Royal Blues in front of their own fans. However, their recent Bundesliga home form does give reason for optimism: They've taken ten points from their last four games at the Coface Arena, conceding just once in the period.
A familiar face returns
Friday evening's game will see Johannes Geis, who signed for Schalke in the summer, return to his former club. The €12m that Mainz received for him remains the highest transfer fee paid to the Zerofivers in the club's entire history. The 22-year-old curled in a sumptuous free kick last weekend as Schalke beat Wolfsburg 3-0, and Royal Blue fans will be hoping for a repeat performance at the Coface Arena on Friday night when he meets his former teammates.
