German 2.Bundesliga
2023-12-15 - Schalke 04 vs Greuther Furth
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: 2.Bundesliga
Veltins Arena – Gelsenkirchen
Friday, 15th December 2023 - kickoff 18:30 CET
Schalke 04
Schalke 04 has improved a lot in the past few weeks. They won four of their last six 2.Bundesliga games, including their last two against rivals from the bottom, Vfl Osnabruck (4-0) and Hansa Rostock (0-2).
Schalke 04 now has a solid eight-point advantage over relegation spots but is far away from promotion spots. This is a lost season for them, as most they can do is probably climb at mid-table. They consolidated their team but still need to sign two or three quality players and have more consistency to become one of the top sides.
The positive thing is that Schalke 04 significantly improved their scoring. Playing attacking football, they scored at least twice in five of their last six matches.
Schalke 04 achieved six wins so far, four of which at home. However, they have been very inconsistent at home, alternating between winning and losing in their most recent six home games (three wins and three defeats).
Schalke 04 will play without their striker Sebastian Polter, who suffered a groin injury last week. He was one of the goal assistants last week but mostly played as a substitute this season.
Greuther Furth
Greuther Furth missed a golden opportunity to jump third on the 2.Bundesliga table last weekend. After winning five matches in a row (all without conceding!), Greuther Furth was held to a 1-1 draw against Magdeburg last week.
Greuther Furth dominated the entire match last week and was cruising to their sixth straight victory, but conceded an equalizing goal after set-piece, deep into the stoppage time and just before the final whistle.
Greuther Furth is now level on 28 points with Hamburger SV in the third spot, with only goal difference separating them. Regardless, Greuther Furth looks very strong this season, and we should expect them to battle for Bundesliga promotion until the end of the season.
Good defense is what brings Greuther Furth points. They have one of the meanest defenses in the 2.Bundesliga, second-best in the league, allowing only 18 goals in 16 games. Most of Greuther Furth's games across the last two months were tight. There were under 2.5 goals scored in eight of their last nine matches.
The Betting Verdict
Schalke 04 is an improved side, especially since the Belgian coach Karel Geraerts took them over. They achieved four wins in seven games under him, which is excellent.
However, Greuther Furth is a rock-solid defensive side and unbeaten in six straight matches. They are compact, have a balanced team, and can battle for promotion this season.
I am leaning more toward the visitors, but I will also add the draw as a possible option. Take Greuther Furth to win or draw this match.
The Pick :
Schalke 04 1-1 Greuther Furth
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take Greuther Furth to win or draw (X2) at odds of 1.64 at Cloudbet
