week 25 - match preview

Slomka eyes victory in Berlin

Though Schalke remain very much in contention at the top end of the table, immediately below them the battle for the UEFA Cup places is also hotting up. But ahead of the away clash with Hertha BSC Berlin on Easter Sunday (kick-off: 1700 CET), head coach Mirko Slomka is in no doubt where is priorities lie.

"We have to stay in with a shout at the top and now land our third win in a row. That's a great incentive", the 40-year-old said. Because with 41 points to their name the Royal Blues still have every chance of reducing the gap to second-placed SV Hamburg (45 points) in the remaining ten matches.

On the other hand, however, the teams below them in the table - Eintracht Frankfurt (39), VfB Stuttgart (38), VfL Wolfsburg (36) and SC Karlsruhe (36) - are all chasing a UEFA Cup spot. Therefore Slomka said: "We're always under pressure. The players need that, though, and we make sure we pass it on." After an up-and-down season Hertha are out of the running for a European place at the moment, but Slomka is well aware that their form has stabilised recently, pointing to a run of six games without defeat. "So it's frustrating to lose so many players through injury this week", he said.

In Mladen Krstajic (groin), Levan Kobiashvili (groin), Gustavo Varela (thyroid dysfunction), Ivan Rakitic (ankle), Zlatan Bajramovic (foot), Ze Roberto (muscle strain) and Markus Heppke (shoulder), the Royal Blues will be without at least seven players on Sunday.

Though Schalke have an exceptionally poor record at the Olympic Stadium, with 18 defeats in 25 Bundesliga appearances there, they have won three of the last eight, most recently in February 2006 (2-1). The Royal Blues will also take courage from their away form this season, which has seen them win three of their last five outings (in Hannover, Dortmund and Bielefeld) and draw in Frankfurt. The only reverse was an unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.