Miron Muslić has put aggression against the ball at the centre of FC Schalke 04's plan for FC Schalke 04 vs RB Leipzig. The bigger story is still the same one Schalke have carried for months, a 1259-day wait for a Bundesliga home goal that stretches back to Sebastian Polter's last strike in the top flight.
Muslic's message and Schalke's home drought
Schalke are still waiting for their first Bundesliga goal in front of their own fans this season. Their home record reads 0-0 against FC Bayern München, 0-0 against SV Elversberg and 0-1 against FSV Mainz 05, which leaves them with just 2 points from a possible 9 at home.
They sit 16th on 6 points, so the margin for another flat evening is thin. Muslic's line is not a magic fix, but it does fit the problem Schalke have looked stuck in, because the issue is not just scoring away from home, it is finding a way to break the first goal at the Veltins-Arena.
Leipzig's edge in the table
RB Leipzig arrive in fifth place with 12 points after their 4-0 win against Elversberg on October 24. They have scored 20 Bundesliga goals, with only Bayern's tally of 25 better, so Schalke are facing a side that can hurt them quickly if they leave space.
The road form is not spotless, though. Leipzig's win over Rot-Weiss Essen ended a run of 5 consecutive away defeats, and that gives Schalke at least some reason to believe the match is not completely out of reach.
Sports Mole's preview expects any away win to be narrow, because Schalke have been exceptional defensively this campaign. The exact home score sequence has been presented differently across the previews, but both versions point to the same thing, a goalless start in front of their own supporters.
Schalke's problem is still the one that matters most, and it will be in focus again when the teams meet on Saturday at the Veltins-Arena.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
