Match Information
Match Overview
1. FC Köln host FC Schalke 04 at the RheinEnergieStadion on October 24 in Regular Season - 7 of the Bundesliga. Matchday 7 is the point where the season starts to take shape, and the two sides meet separated by only two places: Köln are 12th and Schalke 14th.
Form is the most relevant factor here. Both clubs lost their most recent league games. Köln were beaten 1-0 away at Eintracht Frankfurt on October 16, a result that followed their 2-1 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on October 11. Before that, they lost 2-1 at Hamburger SV on September 19 and drew 1-1 at home with Werder Bremen on September 12. Schalke's run is tougher still. They lost 1-0 at home to FSV Mainz 05 on October 17 and 2-1 at SC Freiburg on October 11. Their other league result in the data is a 0-0 home draw with SV Elversberg on September 20. Schalke have not scored in two of their three league matches shown, so the visitors' attack will be under scrutiny. Köln have scored in three of their four league matches listed.
The head-to-head record also favors the hosts. Köln won the last two meetings, 1-0 on February 9, 2025 and 3-1 away on September 1, 2024. They have lost none of the ten meetings listed, with seven wins and three draws. That is a notable psychological backdrop, though this season's form will carry more weight.
Neither club reports any unavailable players, so René Wagner and M. Muslić both appear to have full squads to choose from. That gives each coach flexibility in a match between two sides looking to move away from the lower half of the table. Köln have the better league position, the home advantage and a strong historical record against this opponent, while Schalke will look to end a short run of defeats.
Predicted Lineups
1. FC Köln
Schwäbe; Sebulonsen, Schmied, Simpson-Pusey, Lochoshvili, Sosa; Bergmann Jóhannesson, Krauß, Maina; Bülter, El Mala
FC Schalke 04
Karius; Becker, Katić, Kuruçay; Gantenbein, El-Faouzi, Tanaka, Gosens, Karaman, Aouchiche; Džeko
Team Form Analysis
1. FC Köln
League Position: 121. FC Köln Form Analysis
Köln's league form has been uneven. Across four Bundesliga matches in the data, they have one win, one draw and two defeats. They drew 1-1 at home with Werder Bremen on September 12, lost 2-1 at Hamburger SV on September 19, beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 at home on October 11, and then lost 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on October 16.
Attacking output is modest but fairly consistent. Köln have scored in three of those four league games, four goals in total, an average of one per match. The defensive record shows some vulnerability: they have conceded in all four league matches, five goals in total. The most recent trip to Frankfurt was their only match without scoring.
Their October 3 friendly at FC Viktoria Köln ended 2-2, but as a friendly it carries little weight when assessing league form. Köln's league results have come against a mix of opponents, including a home win over a regional rival, and they have kept results close, with each of the four league games decided by a single goal or a draw. The side arrives in search of a first back-to-back league result in either direction.
FC Schalke 04
League Position: 14FC Schalke 04 Form Analysis
Schalke's league form is a concern. In the three Bundesliga matches in the data, they have one draw and two defeats, and the trend is negative: a 0-0 home draw with SV Elversberg on September 20, a 2-1 defeat at SC Freiburg on October 11, and a 1-0 home loss to FSV Mainz 05 on October 17.
Goals have been scarce. Schalke have scored just once in those three league matches, the single goal at Freiburg. Defensively they have conceded three, but they also kept a clean sheet against Elversberg, and both defeats were by a single goal. That suggests tight matches rather than heavy losses.
Friendlies offer some contrast. Schalke won 1-0 at Austria Lustenau on October 3 and 5-2 at Rot-weiss Oberhausen on September 24. These are not competitive league fixtures, though, so they should be treated cautiously as an indicator. The more relevant picture is a team that has lost its last two league games and has failed to score in two of its three. Džeko leads the line in the last lineup, with Karaman and Aouchiche in support, and the attack will aim to break that scoring drought.
Head-to-Head
1. FC Köln
FC Schalke 04
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-09 | 1. FC Köln | 1 - 0 | FC Schalke 04 |
| 2024-09-01 | FC Schalke 04 | 1 - 3 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2023-01-29 | FC Schalke 04 | 0 - 0 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2022-08-07 | 1. FC Köln | 3 - 1 | FC Schalke 04 |
| 2022-01-27 | 1. FC Köln | 2 - 2 | FC Schalke 04 |
| 2021-05-22 | 1. FC Köln | 1 - 0 | FC Schalke 04 |
| 2021-01-20 | FC Schalke 04 | 1 - 2 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2020-02-29 | 1. FC Köln | 3 - 0 | FC Schalke 04 |
| 2019-10-05 | FC Schalke 04 | 1 - 1 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2018-10-31 | 1. FC Köln | 2 - 2 5-6 pens | FC Schalke 04 |
Memorable Matches
The head-to-head history leans toward Köln, who have not lost any of the last ten meetings listed. The most recent, on February 9, 2025, was a 1-0 Köln home win. Before that, Köln won 3-1 away at Schalke on September 1, 2024, a result that stands out for the margin and the setting.
Another standout is the 3-1 Köln win at home on August 7, 2022. The two sides also traded draws that year: 2-2 at the RheinEnergieStadion on January 27, 2022, and 0-0 at Schalke on January 29, 2023.
Earlier, Köln won 3-0 at home on February 29, 2020, the biggest margin in the data. Köln also won 2-1 at Schalke on January 20, 2021. Taken together, the series has been competitive but generally in the hosts' and Köln's favor.
Venue Factor
The RheinEnergieStadion hosts this Matchday 7 fixture, and the data shows Köln have won the home meetings with Schalke listed on August 7, 2022, May 22, 2021, February 29, 2020 and February 9, 2025 (the last two are the latest home wins), with a 2-2 draw on January 27
Injury Concerns
1. FC Köln
FC Schalke 04
