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Schalke v Hamburg (Sun 2pm)
Victory at Freiburg last time out was by no means straightforward for Schalke. Their opponents hit the woodwork twice and goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann had to be at his best on several occasions.
Still, the 1-0 victory made it 11 points in Schalke’s last five Bundesliga games, lifting them up to the dizzy heights of a Champions League spot in the table.
“We cannot allow ourselves to be enticed by such things,” said coach Domenico Tedesco, a sentiment that was echoed by captain Fährmann: “We have to take it step by step and remain cool.”
People in Hamburg are struggling to stay cool though after the start that 17-year-old striker Jann-Fiete Arp has made to life in the first team. He put in a magnificent display against Stuttgart last time out which he capped with a second goal in as many games as Hamburg won 3-1.
Markus Gisdol gave Arp the first week of the international break off to try and take the heat off the young striker, both mentally and physically. He is however likely to start again in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
Hamburg had only taken one point in their previous eight games before that victory against Stuttgart and even that was a touch fortuitous, given how the away side had to play with ten men for over 70 minutes.
Schalke will be without the injured Nabil Bentaleb who could end up missing the rest of the Hinrunde. The influential Leon Goretzka meanwhile looks like he’ll miss out too with a calf problem but Schalke did beat Freiburg without both of them last time out.
Expect Tedesco’s side to do the same against Hamburg on Sunday.
Raphael's Tips
- Correct score: Schalke 2, Hamburg 1 (7-1, Unibet)
- First scorer: Naldo (12-1, Unibet)
- Schalke to win (3-5, Unibet)
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
In December 2020 we sadly 
