2. Bundesliga Friday Konferenz: Hannover and Schalke target top spot, Anfang debut in Düsseldorf

Schalke will have a chance to climb to the top of the 2. Bundesliga standings on Friday with a win in Hannover. Simultaneously, Markus Anfang makes his Fortuna Düsseldorf debut at home against fellow strugglers Eintracht Braunschweig.

Hannover 96 vs. Schalke 04

Earlier this week, Bild reported that a Bundesliga promotion would do a world of good for Schalke. Against all odds, Miron Muslić’s side is now in a proper race for a return to Germany's top division. Before the international break, Schalke won each of their last three games.

Their Friday hosts also avoided defeats in that timeframe, although they could only muster 2-2 draws away from home against Dynamo Dresden and Greuther Fürth. Following a four-game winning start to the season, Hannover only managed to beat newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld in their last four encounters.

They won both games against Schalke last season, however. It was also on the third Friday of October when Schalke last won at Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, courtesy of Marcin Kaminski’s 95th-minute winner four years ago.

Team News

Timo Becker, Tomas Kalas, and Christian Gomis will not travel with Schalke’s squad due to injuries. Hannover’s Ime Okon, who will be hoping to make South Africa’s World Cup squad, could make his return from a muscle injury. Austrian striker Benedikt Pichler needs more time to recover from ligament issues, however.

Predicted Lineups

Hannover: Noll; Ghita, Tomiak, Blank; Matsuda, Leopold ©, Neubauer; Aseko; Chakroun, Rochelt; Källman

Schalke: Karius; Ayhan, Katic, Kurucay; Porath, Schallenberg, El-Faouzi, V. Becker; Karaman ©, Antwi-Adjei; Sylla

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Eintracht Braunschweig

After separating from Daniel Thioune, Fortuna Düsseldorf hired the former Köln and Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang. The 51-year-old will face Braunschweig on his coaching debut for a club he has played for two seasons.

Braunschweig are winless in their last ten games against Fortuna. Last season’s encounter at the Merkur Spiel-Arena ended with a 5-0 win for the hosts, but all the goal scorers – Dawid Kownacki, Ísak Jóhannesson, and Dzenan Pejcinovic – left the club in the summer.

Fortuna finally scored their first goal at home this season before the international break, but the narrow defeat to Miroslav Klose’s 1. FC Nürnberg was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Thioune’s extended stay at the club. Braunschweig have only picked up a single point since winning the first two games of the season.

Team News

Since it’s the first game under Anfang, we could see a change of system at Fortuna. There are no new injuries at the club, although Valgeir Lunddal, Tim Rossmann, and Julian Hettwer will remain on the sidelines. Defenders Lukas Frenkert, Leon Bell Bell and Frederik Jäkel will not be in the traveling squad for the visitors.

Predicted Lineups

Fortuna: Kastenmeier ©; Zimmermann, Oberdorf, Schmidt, Heyer; El Azzouzi; Appelkamp, Muslija, Iyoha; Itten, Celar

Braunschweig: Hoffmann; Ehlers, Köhler ©, Breunig; Aydin, Flick, Sanchez; Tempelmann, Heußer; Conteh, Yardimci