Bundesliga Odds: Wounded Dortmund Takes on In-Form Schalke 04
Published October 29, 2016 by Florin P
Dortmund seeks invaluable three points at home against Schalke after failing to win on the road at Ingolstadt (5:30 p.m UK Time).
One month ago, Dortmund and Schalke 04 were at the opposite end of form. The latter were struggling to win back-to-back games, while Dortmund was riding an impressive winning streak. Things have changed greatly and they’ve won a single match since, while their Saturday opponents won four out of five. Bayern Munich is already six points clear and another setback against Schalke 04 would be disastrous.
Defensive Problems Hurt Dortmund
During the winning streak, the fans paid no attention to the fact that Dortmund was conceding goals more often than expected. Their team was a goal-scoring machine and perfectly capable to offset these minor setbacks. Recently though, their offensive is no longer clicking and the average of goals allowed has increased to two per match.
Facing Schalke 04 at home is particularly worrisome under these circumstances. The visitors are more effective at keeping clean sheets and were recently able to defend narrow margin leads. In order to offset these risks, Dortmund needs to exercise constant pressure from the first minute. Aubemayang will spearhead the offensive after he managed to score 7 goals in just as many matches.
The First Serious Test for Schalke 04
The visitors have emerged as one of the hottest German teams, winning matches in both Bundesliga and Europa League. Their performance on the road however is far from convincing and they are still searching for their first victory this season. Against Dortmund, they need to make significant changes to the starting formation to bolster their defenses.
This strategy can backfire badly, because the hosts are truly dangerous when they’re given the chance to exercise pressure. Betting wise, bet365 Sports makes a tempting proposition to those who trust Dortmund to cover the spread. Risk-averse players can take the cover of a 0:1 Asian Handicap, so they get their money back if the hosts win by a narrow margin.
