© FC Bayern
Football fans in Germany had to wait over three years for FC Schalke 04 to return to the Bundesliga. Now, however, the club steeped in tradition is back in the top flight – and a true classic of the competition is set to be revived on Saturday evening (18:30 CEST).
FC Bayern last faced the Gelsenkirchen side in a competitive match on 13 May 2023. That convincing 6–0 win was the latest chapter in a run of 25 matches without defeat against the Royal Blues (22 wins, three draws). In their most recent 12 encounters with S04, the Munich side have emerged victorious every time; in the last seven, they've also kept a clean sheet. So will Bayern manage to pick up where they left off, or can a resurgent Schalke side turn the tables?
Good home form vs. good away form
Bayern already demonstrated their strength on the road this season with their 2–1 victory over Schalke’s arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Supercup. | © FC Bayern
Good home form vs. good away form
Bayern already demonstrated their strength on the road this season with their 2–1 victory over Schalke’s arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Supercup. | © FC Bayern
Away from home, FC Bayern are a force to be reckoned with and are now unbeaten in 26 Bundesliga encounters on the road (20 wins, six draws) – their last away defeat was a 2–1 loss to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in mid-December 2024. Bayern have only ever experienced one longer run of this kind – from 2012 to 2014, they went 33 matches in a row without losing an away game.
Schalke, on the other hand, owe their return to the top flight largely to their good home form. Since the 1–0 defeat to Holstein Kiel in mid-September 2025, the Knappen have not lost any of their 14 competitive matches at home (11 wins, three draws). That defeat was also S04’s only home loss in the entire 2025/26 Bundesliga 2 campaign. Just one other club in the top two German leagues could match that record: FC Bayern also lost only once at home in the Bundesliga.
More facts on the match at Schalke
40 years young – Not only could Manuel Neuer and Edin Džeko, the two oldest players in this Bundesliga season, come up against each other – it would also be the first time in the competition’s history that two players who have already celebrated their 40th birthdays have played in the same match.
Just 31 goals conceded – Schalke’s greatest strength in their promotion-winning season was their defence: the Knappen boasted the best back line in the second tier, conceding just 31 goals. Now, however, they face Bayern, a side with a formidable attack that has already racked up 11 goals in their first three competitive matches – one more than S04 conceded in the entire first half of the 2025/26 Bundesliga 2 campaign.
19 games unbeaten – FC Bayern could not be bested in their last 19 Saturday evening fixtures - currently the longest run of its kind amongst Bundesliga clubs. Schalke's most recent run of four standout fixtures without defeat (two wins, two draws) are, though, a club record.
Opponents No. 21 – Harry Kane is set to come up against Schalke for the first time. The Englishman has so far scored at least once against each of the 20 Bundesliga clubs he's faced. Only Miroslav Klose has played against more different teams in the competition and scored against all of them (28).
98 Bundesliga goals – Moreover, Kane has scored 98 goals in 95 league appearances. The record for the fewest matches taken to reach the 100-goal mark in the Bundesliga is held by Dieter Müller (129).
27 twin-packs – Bayern could start a Bundesliga season with two wins for the 27th time; no other club has managed this feat as often.
Bayern warmed up for the Schalke clash with a win in the DFB Cup:
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