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| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
AUGSBURG Jentzsch Verhaegh, Sankoh, Langkamp, Ostrzolek Baier, HosogaiNdjeng, Koo, Bellinghausen Oehrl | SCHALKE  Unnerstall Howedes, Matip, Metzelder, Escudero Jones, Hoger Farfan, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar |
Jos Luhukay will be without several players for the visit of the Gelsenkirchen side. Dawda Bah is recovering from knee surgery, Akaki Gogia has a ligament problem, Stephan Hain has a thigh complaint, while Marcel de Jong remains sidelined.
After scoring in last weekend's 2-1 victory against Wolfsburg, Torsten Oehrl is likely to keep his place up front ahead of Nando Rafael.
Huub Stevens will be forced into two changes from the side that lost last week's Ruhr derby to Borussia Dortmund. Kyriakos Papadopoulos has a hamstring knock, and will replace Joel Matip alongside Christoph Metzelder at the heart of defence.
Meanwhile, Christian Fuchs is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards across the course of the season, leaving Sergio Escudero to take his place at left-back. Ralf Fahrmann and Timo Hildebrand remain sidelined with knee and elbow injuries respectively.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
The last four Bundesliga games featuring Augsburg have featured at least three goals.
- Prior to Jos Luhukay's men 3-1 home defeat to Stuttgart on April 10, the Bavarians had beat unbeaten in eight Bundesliga home games, keeping five clean sheets in five of those encounters.
- This is the first time that the SGL Arena side have entertained Schalke in the Bundesliga.
- However, Schalke did play in Augsburg last season, when they won 1-0 en route to winning the DFB-Pokal.
- Raul (pictured, right) announced that he will be leaving the Veltins Arena at the end of the season. The Spaniard has scored 39 goals in 94 so far in his career in Germany.
- Since the Bundesliga's inception in 1963, Schalke have spent just five campaigns outside the top flight. This is Augsburg's first season among Germany's elite.
Prediction
Although the gulf in quality between these two sides is plain for all to see, Augsburg have been in good form of late, while Schalke have stumbled. What's more, the Royal Blues' Champions League qualification is a foregone conclusion, while the hosts are fighting for dear life at the wrong end of the Bundesliga. Accordingly, I'd expect these two side to play out a hard-fought draw.
Editor's Prediction
FC Augsburg 1-1 Schalke 
