Schalke 04 – Hannover 96

It's time for a solid football Sunday in Gelsenkirchen when Schalke 04 takes on Hannover 96 at the Veltins-Arena. For the undersigned, this will be extra special - the trip down to Gelsenkirchen to watch the match live, and the ecstasy is at the roof before the trip has even started!
The 2nd Bundesliga is, as so often before: a record-breaking match. There is rarely a clear favorite at the top, and right now the fight for 1st place is almost weekend in and weekend out. At the bottom it is no less dramatic; Magdeburg in 18th place is only a few points behind the teams higher up in the table. We see the same trends again and again: bottom teams beat top teams, mid-table teams take points against anyone, and there are simply no safe matches in this league.
That said, Hannover 96 is currently in 5th place with 45 points, five points behind Schalke in 1st place. With only nine games left, this could easily be a make or break game for both sides. Both desperately need three points here – anything else will feel like a setback and a golden opportunity for the teams around them to grind past. Both teams are in solid form, and much is therefore pointing towards an intense and active match.

Schalke 04 – Stable form and new weight with legend Dzeko at the top

There is still plenty of impact in Edin Dzeko. Many raised eyebrows when Schalke signed the veteran in January, but Dzeko has shown what still lives in the 39 – almost 40 – year old body: 5 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, and he has scored in every home game since he came in. Dzeko could quickly become the key to promotion.

With players around him who can deliver crosses and create pressure, he gives Schalke a completely different dimension offensively – especially against teams that tend to settle a little lower. With Dzeko in place, Schalke have also really found their rhythm. They have 3 wins and 2 draws in the last five games, and especially at home at the Veltins-Arena they have appeared strong. They enter this game with solid belief in their own abilities, and it shows in the game – because believe me, it was the exact opposite we saw from a Schalke in relegation trouble last season.

The crowd in Gelsenkirchen is known to be among the most intense in German football, and once Schalke gains momentum there, few teams find it comfortable to visit.

It is also at home that Schalke has really built a fort this season: 9-2-1 and +9 in goal difference gives a PPG of strong 2.42. They create enough forwards and allow little behind. With Karius, and more recently the experienced Müller, between the posts they have security. The defense has shown talent, dedication and raw will, while the midfield runs more than most – El-Faouzi, for example, has run the equivalent of seven marathons since the start of the season.

In other words, things are looking good across the board for Schalke. At the same time, they know full well that they are facing the league's best away team here – a team that comes fearlessly to Gelsenkirchen with a strong desire to make life miserable for all the hopefuls at the Veltins-Arena.

Hannover 96 – a strong away record

Hannover comes to Gelsenkirchen with a solid away record this season: 7-4-2 , which also makes them the league's best away team. They have shown several times that they are not afraid to attack on foreign turf, and that is clearly reflected in the statistics.

Källman is the league's top scorer with 13 goals, and in combination with Saad and Yokota – especially the latter – Hannover are dangerous when they push forward. They score a lot, but also concede goals. We can see this clearly in the fact that 9 out of 13 away games have ended with both teams scoring.

Hannover also ranks high in several offensive categories: Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 10 of 13 away games, and with their will to attack, corners come in droves. It is primarily at home that they have the highest numbers, but they are also high away with 4.62 corners on average. Their last five games have produced a total of 22, 12, 11, 11 and 14 corners, which are very high numbers. If we look in isolation at Hannover's own corner production, they average 9 corners in the last five games. Against Schalke in the autumn they also produced 9 corners alone. Then it becomes extra interesting that Schalke allows 4.5 corners on average at home.

When the teams met last fall, it ended 3-0 to Schalke. The result is a bit misleading, as Hannover certainly had their chances to score, but missed five big chances. In terms of form, they are also fully competitive: 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in the last five, although the loss to Greuther Fürth in the previous round was a small step back.

The fact that this is a top match between two teams in good form means that many stones must be left unturned. It is tempting to go for goal games, but Schalke also has the ability to close well at the back on good days – and win matches on pure control and efficiency. Nevertheless, there are several exciting options here.

Conclusion: several good options with attractive odds

When we add up the statistics of both teams, several indicators point in the same direction:

• Both teams score often in these matches (BTS last 3 out of 5)
• Hannover has high corner production
• Schalke plays relatively open home games with a good pace, although the results may suggest otherwise
• H2H from the autumn match ended over 2.5 goals + 16 corners in total in a very open match that could easily have gone either way.

This makes the following games particularly interesting:

• Over 9 corners (1.66) : This appears to be one of the safer options. Both Schalke and especially Hannover have figures that clearly point towards double-digit corners, and this is also supported by the previous match. In addition, this is a game in which both teams need three points - neither will be satisfied with just controlling themselves to one point.
• Both teams to score (1.68): This has happened in 6 of 12 home games for Schalke and 9 of 13 away games for Hannover. The statistics support an open game picture, especially when a lot is at stake.
• Schalke win – draw no bet (1.71): Schalke are in good form and strong at home. With Dzeko in scoring form and the crowd behind him, it is not unnatural to have a certain amount of faith in the home team.
• Over 2.5 goals (1.80): Both teams have had over 2.5 goals in 3 of their last 5 matches, and Hannover has this in 10 of 13 away matches.
• Hannover over 4.5 corners (1.83): A more pointed game. Hannover averages 4.62 corners away this season and had 9 against Schalke last time. At the same time, Schalke drops to an average of 4.5 at home.
• Edin Dzeko scores anytime (2.63): Four home games – four goals. Statistics and role in the team make this an interesting "spice" bet.

There are a lot of good things to choose from here, but with a slightly uneasy feeling about goal production, the following are chosen as the main bets:

Germany at 13:30: Schalke 04 – Hannover 96: Over 9 corners (1.66)

Alternative games:

Germany at 13:30: Schalke 04 – Hannover 96: Over 2.5 goals (1.80)

Germany at 13:30: Schalke 04 – Hannover 96: Edin Dzeko scores anytime (2.63)