Schalke continues to struggle at the start of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season as relegation looms. After nine matchdays in the German top flight, Schalke occupies last place in the league. With a victory yet to be recorded, it’s beginning to look like it will be an uphill battle for the remainder of the campaign.
Schalke Facing an Uphill Battle to Avoid Relegation
Points Hard to Come by
Three draws are the only results where Schalke have been able to pick up points. As a result, they have found themselves at the bottom of the table in the Bundesliga. Entering December they are the only club in the German top-flight who have yet to record a victory. If this trend continues, there’s no question they will be relegated at the end of the season. Victories are going to have to come during December or they will dig themselves into a bigger hole.
With points hard to come by, there may be opportunities on the horizon for Schalke to register a victory. During December Schalke will have fixtures against Arminia Bielefeld and Freiburg. These two opponents are currently in the bottom half of the table and are among those who are struggling to find good form. It will be crucial for Schalke to earn a victory in one of these matches if they want to keep their hopes of fighting off relegation.
A victory during December would also allow Schalke to end their winless streak of 25 Bundesliga matches. January was the last time Schalke were able to achieve victory in the German top flight. They were able to get a victory in the opening round of the DFB-Pokal, but aside from that result, victories have remained elusive.
Troubles Conceding
Schalke have the worst goal differential in the Bundesliga at -22. They have conceded 28 goals and scored just six goals in their nine matches played. While they have clearly struggled defensively, they have been unable to make up for their backline issues on the attack. Goals have been hard to come by and it has further added to the struggles the club are experiencing on the field.
Eight of the 28 goals conceded were from the shocking 8-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on matchday one. Since then, Schalke have lost by at least three goals to three other clubs. These results don’t show any signs of stopping as the most recent defeat Schalke suffered was a 4-1 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Avoiding Relegation Can Still Happen
The next two months will be crucial for Schalke if they want to turn things around. They cannot afford to leave it too late to make a comeback in the table. Just three points currently separate Schalke from safety from the relegation zone. However, they will need to win matches during December and January if they want to keep this gap at three points.
A draw against Union Berlin proved they can get points against clubs in the top half of the table but they will need to display they can defeat the clubs in the bottom half of the standings as well. Schalke will have six matches in December and January that will be against opponents who are currently in the bottom half of the table. These matches are going to be the pivotal fixtures that could make or break the outcome of the 2020/21 campaign.
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