Three games to go before the season is over. And on Saturday (15.30), FC Schalke 04 must face FC Bayern München in the relegation battle.

Actually, the calculation is simple. When FC Schalke 04 play FC Bayern in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15:30), nobody expects anything worth counting for S04.

The record in Munich is devastating. The last league win at Bayern was in 2009, and the last four encounters in Munich resulted in 18 goals conceded.

Nevertheless: After the last few weeks, the wind has changed. Schalke are back, are currently not in a relegation place and are winning games late.

These results have given rise to a belief that even a point or more at the record champions no longer seems impossible. Especially as Schalke need more points, with 30 points they are relegated.

Ahead of the trip to Bayern, where coach Thomas Reis can almost draw on a full complement of players, the S04 coach emphasises, also with a view to his record as a coach against Bayern: “I don’t think my statistics are that outstanding either. But we have also earned a certain amount of luck in the last two games. We have absolute respect for this opponent. When they get rolling, it can be very unpleasant. But we have a goal in mind, we have put ourselves in a good position. We have to take advantage of that. “

Four men will not be able to make the trip to Munich. Ralf Fährmann (muscle fibre tear), Moritz Jenz, Justin Heekeren (cruciate ligament injury) and Soichiro Kozuki (foot surgery) are out.

Therefore, a rotation is also conceivable, especially as five players are threatened with a yellow suspension.

Reis: “A few weeks ago, nobody believed that anything was possible in Munich. Now everyone thinks so. That is also a danger. Bayern has great quality. Even if they hadn’t been rolling that way lately. Of course, we have the yellow cards on our minds. We want to get as good a result as possible. The other two games are in our heads. Maybe someone will not play who is already in trouble. But that also has tactical reasons. We have a high workload that we have to achieve. In Mainz, we had the highest mileage, which draws energy. In the meantime, we are able to make our line-up from several players. “

And those who start in Munich will also have to reel off kilometres again. Reis explains: “We will have to run after the ball a time or two. We have to be able to suffer.”

And have all eventualities in mind. Even the goal difference, which can be decisive in the end. Reis: “You always want to try and concede few goals. When Bayern takes the lead, they also have the greed to quickly go for a second or third goal. Hardly any other team has that. You have to be wide awake. We’re still points ahead, then we’ll look at the goal difference. First of all, the points are more important. Maybe the other teams don’t do everything right on match day either. “

*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***