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Schalke seek spark against Salzburg

September 28, 2016

Benedikt Höwedes thinks the Europa League may provide a welcome boost for Schalke, who are winless in the Bundesliga this season. Meanwhile, Martin Schmidt juggles an injury-stricken squad as Mainz head to Azerbaijan.

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Schalkes Trainer Markus Weinzierl
Image: Picture-alliance/dpa/U. Anspach

Two weeks ago, Schalke traveled to Nice, the early season leaders in Ligue 1, and came away with a victory - but that is the only positive from their season so far.

They are still without a point in the Bundesliga after five games, scoring just seven goals in eight games in all competitions - more than half of which came against fifth-tier Villingen in the first round of the German Cup. German media are already questioning whether new sporting director Christian Heidel and new coach Markus Weinzierl are the right people to guide Schalke back to its previous heights.

Fussball Bundesliga TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs. FC Schalke 04
The Europa League could be where Schalke get back to their winning waysImage: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Scheuber

Their game on Thursday against Red Bull Salzburg, the sister club to RB Leipzig, may be an opportunity to regain confidence. Salzburg have won the Austrian Bundesliga each of the past three seasons, but have only once beaten a team from Germany, a home success against Eintracht Frankfurt after a penalty shootout in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup quarterfinals. A convincing win may give Schalke some much-needed confidence, something they will need when they face Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga at the weekend.

"We had a very good match in Nice and so maybe this game is coming at the right time for us so that we can clear our heads," Schalke captain Höwedes told Sport 1 on Monday.

Fixture congestion for hobbled Mainz

Mainz got a point out of their opening Group C match at French side St. Etienne, their debut in the group stage of Europe's second-tier club competition. They have to travel around 3,200 kilometers to Azerbaijan this week and face Gabala with a decimated squad.

Coach Martin Schmidt did his best in pre-season to get his team in shape and has rotated his squad to try to keep everyone fresh. But injuries have denied sporting director Rouven Schröder the squad depth he tried to build in the summer.

FSV Mainz 05 - Bayer Leverkusen
Mainz struggled to finish of Leverkusen over the weekend and may struggle with their extra European fixtures.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F.Rumpenhorst

Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Leon Balogun were both injured in the last week and a half, and with Andre Ramalho and Danny Latza still on the mend, versatile defender Daniel Brosinski has had to join Fabian Frei in midfield. Fortunately, Jose Rodriguez, suspended for five Bundesliga games after a reckless challenge on Augsburg's Dominik Kohr, will be available to help out.

Along with Macabi Tel Aviv, Gabala are the only team to have advanced from the first qualifying round to the group stage in this season's Europa League. They have won all four of their Europea home matches this season but only won two points and scored two goals when they made their debut in the group stage last term.

Mainz may be encouraged by Dortmund's two comfortable wins last season against the club from Azerbaijan, but with a mid-table Bundesliga clash against Wolfsburg at the weekend, a long trip east could take a toll on a squad already stretched by injuries.

(dpa)