Home › Soccer Betting › Bundesliga Betting › 2017-18 FC Schalke 04
Schalke is coming off a disappointing season a year ago, as they finished in 10th place after finishing fifth the previous year. The team should be poised for improvement in 2017-2018, as they actually outscored opponents last season but finished with a losing record. They will have to rely on Guido Burgstaller to score goals this season, especially with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar now at Ajax. The lack of success a year ago cost Markus Weinzierl his job, as he was replaced by Domenico Tedesco. If Schalke doesn’t finish in the top seven this year it may be more than the manager who is fired, as GM Horst Heldt is under severe pressure.
Schalke 04 Bundesliga Futures Odds
Odds To Win Bundesliga: +2500 (Field)
Schalke is not considered a threat to win the league, as they are listed as part of the field at odds of +2500. The question this season is whether or not Schalke is good enough to challenge for a Champions League spot or at the very least a Europa League spot.
Schalke 04 Competitions in 2017-18
German Bundesliga
DFB-Pokal
What's New?
The team added Nabil Bentaleb from Tottenham Hotspur, Amine Harit from Nantes, Pablo Insua from Deportivo La Coruna, Yevhen Konoplyanka from Sevilla, Bastian Oczikpa from Eintracht Frankfurt, Luke Hemmerich from Academy and Weston McKinnie from Academy.
What's Gone?
Schalke lost Dennis Aogo who was released, Abdul Rahman Baba to Chelsea, Holger Badstuber to Bayern Munich, Fabian Giefer to Augsburg, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Ajax, Sead Kolasinac to Arsenal, Phil Neumann to Ingolstadt, Sascha Riether was released and Timon Wellenreuther to Willem II.
Schalke 04 2017-18 Predictions
Schalke spent a lot of money in the off-season but whether it was money well spent is the question, as so far Heldt has yet to prove he knows how to run a team. The addition of Amine Harit might be a good one, as he looks like a young player who can provide offense. The problem for Schalke is that they have to replace a lot of talented players including Sead Kolasinac.
The 2017-2018 season is critical for Schalke, as they need to reach at least the Europa League to convince some of their top players to stay. Leon Goretzka and Max Meyer have expiring contracts and Schalke is not selling either player.
Heldt might have made another questionable move in hiring Tedesco who has no previous experience coaching a Bundesliga team. He is just 31-years old and unproven. He had been with Erzgerbirge Aue in the 2.Bundesliga. One of his first moves looks questionable as he stripped Benedikt Howedes of the captaincy and gave it to Goretzka who the team probably won’t be able to bring back.
Schalke has a lot of talented players but they are still behind the top teams of Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig. Schalke looks more on par with teams competing for a Europa League spot.
It seems like everyone on Schalke has something to prove this season from the GM to the manager to the players. Schalke needs some of their players to come back strong including Breel Embolo who suffered a broken leg and ankle last season. They also need Yevhen Konoplyanka to show he still has something left.
Schalke was very inconsistent last season, as they won eight games by two goals or more but lost six matches by two goals or more. It was really all or nothing from this team a year ago.
The goal for Schalke this season is to qualify for European football. A Champions League berth seems unlikely, as Schalke doesn’t look good enough to finish in the top 4. A more realistic goal is a seventh place finish but that may not be easy, as the team doesn’t appear to be any better than they were a year ago. It could come down to the final couple of weeks to determine whether Schalke finishes 7th or whether they disappoint again and finish in 10th.
Come today at JustBet Sportsbook and check the current German Bundesliga Betting Odds on your mobile device and start betting on the best soccer leagues and tournaments around the world at JustBet Sportsbook!
