On Friday evening, FC Schalke 04 will make their first-ever appearance in the Bundesliga 2 at the Betzenberg, visiting 1. FC Kaiserslautern. They have met many times in the top flight.

On Friday evening, FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Kaiserslautern will meet at the Betzenberg in Kaiserslautern for the basement duel in the 2nd Bundesliga. Despite the great tradition of both clubs, it is the first meeting in Kaiserslautern in the second division. S04’s 3-0 win in the first leg was the first duel between the two clubs in the 2nd division.

Overall, Schalke has a slight advantage in the two clubs’ competitive matches. The Royal Blues have emerged victorious 35 times. Kaiserslautern have won 30 games, while 24 matches ended in a draw. Most of the matches have, of course, taken place in the Bundesliga. Here, the balance is completely even. Both clubs have won 28 times each. 22 matches have ended in a draw.

There is one game in the past that Schalke fans will not remember fondly. On November 27, 2010, 1. FC Kaiserslautern swept FC Schalke 04 5-0 from the Betzenberg. And the miners played with Manuel Neuer in goal. In defense, the lineup included not only Lukas Schmitz but also the future world champion Benedikt Höwedes, as well as Christoph Metzelder and Atsuto Uchida.

Jermaine Jones and Peer Kluge were also prominent in the defensive midfield. Jefferson Farfan and Edu were lame on the wings. And two world stars played in the offense: Raúl and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar were completely adrift against the Schalkers, who played like a wall that day.

Goals for Kaiserslautern were scored twice by Srdjan Lakic, Martin Amedick and Ivo Ilicevic. The biggest humiliation in the end was the header goal scored by Jan Moravek, who was on loan from S04 to FCK, in the 88th minute. A pitch-black evening for the miners, who then found themselves in 15th place in the table with this star-studded lineup. The fact that Schalke’s then-coach Felix Magath also stood up after the game and announced that the Schalke fans had been louder than the Lauterer supporters was almost embarrassing.

The rest is history. Magath was dismissed in March 2011 after falling out with the club. His successor Ralf Rangnick won the DFB Cup with the team that summer.