Two German giants who have fallen on hard times face off in the first round of Bundesliga II fixtures as Schalke take on Hertha Berlin in Gelsenkirchen.
Both teams have been stuck in the second tier for the last two seasons and neither has looked like retuning to the big time.
Hertha have finished ninth and 11th in the last two campaigns while Schalke's attempts at winning promotion have been even more shambolic, coming 10th and 14th. They only avoided the drop by three points last term so these are worrying times for the 1997 UEFA Cup winners.
Schalke's finances have been in a mess for a long time and Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced them to severe ties with main sponsors Gazprom. Relegation last term would have threatened the club's existence so another battle against the drop is more likely than a push for promotion.
Hertha have suffered off-field problems of their own, with plans to build a new stadium up in the air, but they still look in better shape than Schalke heading into the new season.
Boss Stefan Leitl has done a decent job since taking charge in February and Hertha lost just once in their last nine games to finish the 2024/25 season strongly.
How the bookies view it: Hertha to keep on rolling
Schalke's strong form towards the end of last term has made them favourites for this one at 23/20 at BoyleSports. They look worth a punt at that price while Schalke are 17/10 for a home win and the draw pays 11/5.
Recent head to head: Little in it
This fixture has been keenly contested in recent seasons, with the last 11 meetings producing five Hertha victories, four Schalke wins and two draws. But Schalke had the edge last term, winning 2-1 in Berlin after a 2-2 draw at home.
Players to watch: Sylla the Schalke threat
Moussa Sylla did well for a struggling Schalke side last term, netting 16 times. The Mali striker looks like their best bet for a goal here if the bookies price up a scorer market.
Skipper Fabian Reese should lead the line for Hertha Berlin and he ended last season in style, scoring 10 times in his last 10 games. He will fancy his chances of getting off the mark for the new campaign on day one.
Probable line-ups
Schalke are still without long-term crocks Kenan Karaman and Zaid Amoussou-Tchibara while Tomas Kalas, Aris Bayindir and Jannik Bachmann are doubts.
Hertha Berlin have doubts over John Brooks, Bilal Hussein, Pascal Klemens, Paul Seguin and Luca Schuler while Linus Gechter is suspended.
Schalke: Karius, Bulut, T Becker, Katic, Donkor, Gruger, Schallenberg, El Faouzi, Zalazar, Hamache, Sylla.
Hertha Berlin: Ernst, Leistner, Eitchsberger, Kolbe, Zeefuik, Dardai, Cuisance, Krattenmacher, Winkler, Thorsteinsson, Reise.
Anything else catch the eye?
Games between these sides were pretty entertaining last season, with BTTS and over 2.5 goals coming up in both meetings. Combining those bets only pays 7/10 for this one at BoyleSports but over 1.5 first-half goals is bigger at 5/4.
There's not a great deal between these sides in terms of quality and it should be a close game. The half-time draw looks worth a punt at 23/20 while a Hertha win by a one-goal margin pays 3/1 at BoyleSports.
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