Schalke hosts Hertha Berlin in the German DFB Pokal 1/8 finals. The match will be played on Tuesday, February 4th at Veltins Arena (Gelsenkirchen)
The Miners carried out a probing move in the last round of the Bundesliga while visiting Hertha. I watched this match, and overall, I liked how Schalke fought. Two dangerous forwards, Gregoritsch and Raman, constantly tormented the defense, but, unfortunately, could not convert their chances. According to my calculations, the score could be 0-2. Schalke will play with Paderborn in the next round, therefore, it is expected that all forces will be invested in the cup match.
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The Old Lady is an ambiguous team, and the current position in the German championship surely worries it more than the cup match does. Hertha takes 13th place, being ahead of the relegation zone by six points. Hertha will host Mainz in the next round, and the victory will allow the Berliners to increase their advantage by a few points. Thus, you can expect the rotation of the visitors’ squad, because the tasks of the Bundesliga are a priority.
In my opinion, Schalke is a little stronger than Hertha, even if you do not take into account their head-to-head meeting in the last round and the first game of the Bundesliga when Hertha beat Schalke with a 0:2 score. But as we recall, Caligiuri did not score a penalty, and the Miners rushed off, having conceded the second goal in the added time. At this stage, the teams have completely different tasks, and the cup is more important for the hosts right now. Therefore, I hope that Schalke’s attack will manage to squeeze the visitors’ defense and gain victory.
Prediction for the match: Schalke to win
