In the fight to stay up, FC Schalke 04 suffered a severe setback last weekend, the miners’ performance was too weak in the 4-0 loss in Freiburg. Lothar Matthäus, the living legend of FC Bayern, sees black for the Royal Blues.
Although the saving bank is still in sight, the spirit of optimism at FC Schalke has vanished after the hefty bankruptcy on Sunday. On Saturday, only a win against fellow promoted team Werder Bremen counts, otherwise the relegation could hardly be averted.
According to Lothar Matthäus, it is already too late for S04. The 62-year-old predicted in the “Sport Bild” that the team of coach Thomas Reis will go down “due to the difficult remaining program”.
In the remaining four games after Bremen, the in-form FSV Mainz 05 (A), FC Bayern Munich (A), Eintracht Frankfurt (H) and RB Leipzig (A) are still waiting for the Gelsenkircheners – a rock-hard final sprint.
Matthäus paid tribute to Schalke’s comeback in the back series: “It’s amazing what coach Reis, the team and the fans have achieved together. A huge compliment for that!”
Matthäus: These clubs end up next to FC Schalke on the bottom line
The 1990 world champion also committed himself to the other final placings in the basement. “For me, Hertha is a direct relegation team: They have been going down this path continuously for three to four years and have often been lucky enough to avoid relegation,” says Matthäus.
He expects two decider games for VfL Bochum. The Ruhrpott club is “currently in a small crisis, they have a very bad goal difference, so they end up on the relegation place with me,” explained the ex-professional.
Matthäus, on the other hand, predicted the rescue of another Bundesliga trio: “At Stuttgart, Hoffenheim and Augsburg, a lot would have to go wrong for them to end up being relegated.”
