FC Schalke 04 is facing its next big game – SV Darmstadt 98 is coming. Coach Miron Muslic explains two major strengths of the miners.

A lot is coming together for FC Schalke 04 this season. The miners demonstrated this not only in their recent 3-0 win over Hannover 96. The Royal Blues dominated the game, deservedly beating the promotion candidates and transforming themselves.

Hannover 96 also got to know Schalke’s new set-piece strength. This season, the miners know how to capitalize on free kicks and corner kicks. Moussa Sylla’s 2-0 goal came after a corner, as did Christian Gomis’ 3-0 goal.

“This is an important phase for us and we have the determination, the desire, the hunger to be aggressive and courageous in all phases. Set pieces can be game changers. We are dangerous from set pieces, which we have prepared for with a lot of meticulousness and hard work. Darmstadt is just as strong on the other side, so we have to defend against their power,” said Schalke coach Miron Muslic ahead of the home game against SV Darmstadt 98 on Friday, October 24, at 6:30 p.m. It’s the next big game, with the second-placed team from Gelsenkirchen facing the fourth-placed team. Set pieces could be a weapon, but Muslic did not want to single out any players: “I don’t want to reveal our strengths. We are strong as a collective, unpredictable. We have different profiles and running patterns in the box. That makes it difficult for our opponents to adjust to us.”

Another important component in Schalke’s new game is power play, which the miners used to force the 1-0 win in Hanover. “We want to put our opponents under pressure in every game. Then we can surprise them with our power. That’s how we want to start, but it’s also about control and rhythm. You can’t run for 90 minutes, but you can’t stand in a block for 90 minutes either. We need balance, that’s good for us,” said Muslic. So far, he is undoubtedly right.