Schalke hopes on Matondo
– Struggling Schalke are hoping Welsh teenager Rabbi Matondo (above) can help turn their season around against Bayern Munich and his former club Manchester City in the coming weeks.
Having finished second to Bayern in last season’s Bundesliga under 33-year-old coach Domenico Tedesco, Schalke have lost 10 of their 20 league games this term.
Last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat by Borussia Moenchengladbach left Schalke 12th in the table – still their highest position all season – as Matondo made his debut.
He should feature again today at Bayern’s Allianz Arena with Manchester City to come in the Champions League last-16 first leg at home on February 20.
Schalke are winless in 17 games against Bayern, who they last beat in the 2011 German Cup semifinals when Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was still at Schalke.
Third-placed Bayern will be desperate to make amends for a shock 3-1 league defeat last Saturday at Bayer Leverkusen, who attacked mercilessly on the counter and found huge holes to exploit.
Bayern bounced back with a 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin on Wednesday in the German Cup, but again proved shaky at the back with Mats Hummels making a bad mistake for Hertha’s second goal before Kingsley Coman’s winner.
Schalke romped to a 4-1 Cup win at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf with Matondo showing glimpses of his talent in playing the first half only.
After a raft of injuries up front, Schalke hope the signing of the Welsh youngster can rescue their season.
The Cardiff-born teenager cost €9 million and arrived after breaking a club record in Manchester, clocking 2.62sec over 20 metres in sprint testing – the fastest of anyone at City.
While Leroy Sane found success by going in the other direction from Schalke to Man City, Matondo is part of a trend of teens from top British clubs heading to the Bundesliga in search of game time.
Tedesco has shown a ruthless streak since taking over at Schalke in 2017, dropping club captain and 2014 World Cup winner Benedikt Hoewedes, who was loaned to Juventus before joining Lokomotiv Moscow. – AFP
Guys like Mesut Ozil, Ivan Rakitic and Leroy Sane made huge strides here. Rabbi Matondo Schalke 04’s new signing