The Bundesliga's least in-form sides go head-to-head on Saturday when Schalke 04 take on Borussia Monchengladbach.
Gladbach have lost seven successive matches in all competitions since it was confirmed that manager Marco Rose will depart for Borussia Dortmund in the summer, with Schalke languishing 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table having only won once all season.
Match preview
Since beating Gladbach 2-0 in January 2020, Schalke have played 41 Bundesliga matches, winning on only one occasion.
It is the sort of dreadful run which could have long-term ramifications on the mindset of the football club, with relegation to the second tier long representing an inevitability.
Their fifth head coach of the season, Dimitrios Grammozis, appears as incapable of stopping the rot as any of his predecessors if last weekend's 5-0 defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg is anything to go by.
The 42-year-old was hardly helped by Shkodran Mustafi's hapless own goal breaking the deadlock after the half-an-hour mark, but he will be more concerned by the complete capitulation in the second half.
Wout Weghorst clinically doubled the Wolves' lead, with Ridle Baku, Josip Brekalo and Maximilian Philipp all adding to the rout within a 30-minute goalscoring spree. It is hard to see where Schalke go from here, although in truth they could not ask for a better opponent than Gladbach on current form.
Having secured Champions League football last season, Gladbach appeared to be in a real position of strength to build on this campaign, with several young talented players in the squad reinforced by experience at the back.
However, after a slow start to the season saw them drop too many careless points at home, the growing rumours of Rose departing for Dortmund once BVB had parted ways with Lucien Favre in December undoubtedly had a destabilising impact on their season.
Four successive league defeats has seen Gladbach drop into the bottom half of the table, although in truth their performances have merited a little more in return. Rose's side started brightly at Augsburg last weekend, with Marcus Thuram winning his fourth penalty of the season, but Lars Stindl uncharacteristically blazed wide.
Die Fohlen's soft underbelly was subsequently exposed once again, with 5ft 8in substitute Ruben Vargas climbing highest to head Heiko Herrlich's side into the lead shortly after the break.
Florian Neuhaus equalised with a trademark passed finish into the far corner, before Marco Richter and Andre Hahn both scored in transition to condemn the visitors to another loss.
The Germans were lifeless once again in their Champions League second leg against Manchester City, losing 2-0 to Pep Guardiola's side for a 4-0 aggregate defeat. It could well be a long time before they return to Europe's elite competition.
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Team News
Schalke continue to be without a whole host of first-team players, with Nabil Bentaleb, Nassim Boujellab, Ralf Fahrmann, Matija Nastasic, Mark Uth, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Salif Sane and Goncalo Paciencia all definitely ruled out until after the upcoming international break.
Steven Skrzybski and Kilian Ludewig were pencilled in for mid-March return dates but may not be risked, with Grammozis surely contemplating a few changes to the XI which was embarrassed in Wolfsburg last weekend.
Gladbach, meanwhile, have far fewer excuses for their poor run of form given that Rose appears to have a clean bill of health to select from.
Alassane Plea may return to freshen up the attack, while Christoph Kramer was an unused substitute in Budapest in midweek and could provide added energy and experience to the midfield.
Schalke 04 possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Becker, Mustafi, Thiaw; William, Serdar, Stambouli, Kolasinac, Calhanoglu; Hoppe, Harit
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Bensebaini; Kramer, Neuhaus; Hofmann, Stindl, Thuram; Plea
We say: Schalke 04 1-2 Borussia Monchengladbach
Given both sides' recent results it is hard to envisage a thriller in Schalke on Saturday, but Gladbach should still have enough quality to overcome the hapless hosts.
The likes of Thuram and Plea could enjoy themselves in attack against a defence which gives up chances more easily than any side in the division.
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