Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: Luckster
Two former Bundesliga heavyweights will meet in a compelling curtain-raiser to the 2. Bundesliga season on Friday night, as Schalke 04 welcome Hertha Berlin to the Veltins-Arena.
After both clubs ended last season in the bottom half of the table, they will be determined to mount a stronger push this term and reignite their promotion ambitions.
Schalke 04
Champions League semifinalists in 2011, Schalke 04 have since endured a turbulent decline marked by financial turmoil and poor leadership.
Now preparing for their fourth 2. Bundesliga campaign in five seasons, they’ve turned to former Plymouth Argyle manager Miron Muslic to guide them back to the top flight. With Hamburg and Köln sealing promotion last season, Die Konigsblauen now stand as the biggest club in the second tier and are expected to challenge for a return despite finishing 14th in 2024/25.
They ended last season on a run of four straight defeats and have looked patchy in pre-season, winning just two of six friendlies. A 4-2 home defeat to Sevilla on Saturday—the same club that denied them a Europa League final in 2006—served as a reminder that plenty of work remains.
Team News
Muslic has brought in familiar faces, including Nikola Katic, who played under him at Plymouth, while Soufiane El-Faouzi and Timo Becker have also joined the squad. Loris Karius, who initially signed in January, has now extended his stay by two years.
However, Schalke have seen departures too—Derry Murkin and Tobias Mohr have exited, and Pape Meissa Ba looks set to join QPR. Skipper Kenan Karaman is ruled out until September due to a knee injury.
Hertha Berlin
Like Schalke, Hertha Berlin’s path back to the Bundesliga has been obstructed by financial strain, and they now enter their third straight season in the 2. Bundesliga.
Having finished ninth and 11th in the past two campaigns, things looked bleak until Stefan Leitl took over in February. Under his guidance, Hertha lost just three of their final 12 matches, injecting hope into a club that had been drifting. Leitl, who previously masterminded Greuther Furth’s promotion, is expected to build on that momentum as Hertha aim to contend in what promises to be a wide-open promotion race.
Pre-season results hint at early promise. After three routine wins over lower-league sides, Hertha headed to Austria, where they lost narrowly to Brondby and edged Austria Vienna 2-1. They wrapped up preparations with a 1-1 draw at Motherwell last Friday, ending their friendlies on a competitive note.
Team News
However, several key players have moved on, including Jonjoe Kenny, Derry Scherhant, Florian Niederlechner, and teenage prospect Ibrahim Maza. To plug the gaps, Hertha brought in Paul Seguin from Schalke and secured Maurice Krattenmacher on loan from Bayern Munich.
Up front, Dawid Kownacki—13 goals for Fortuna Dusseldorf last season—is expected to partner Fabian Reese, forming what could be a potent forward line.
Conclusion
The weight of expectation is never far from Schalke’s shoulders, and Friday’s opener could offer an early reality check for their long-suffering supporters. While the Gelsenkirchen side remains under pressure to deliver a promotion push, Hertha Berlin appear to be gathering momentum at just the right time.
With several key players retained and some smart additions brought in, Stefan Leitl’s side may prove too organized and incisive for the hosts—leaving Schalke to ponder what kind of season lies ahead as Hertha return to the capital with all three points.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: Luckster
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