While the final Topspiel of the 2. Bundesliga season may technically carry little consequence in terms of league standings, it still promises to be an intriguing encounter between two of Germany’s most historic clubs. Nürnberg will be eager to finish their campaign strongly in front of a home crowd, while newly crowned champions Schalke will look to put the icing on a remarkable season by maintaining their momentum.
Nürnberg head into the weekend sitting ninth in the table and have shown clear signs of progress under Miroslav Klose. Considering their dismal start to the campaign, both supporters and players will likely view a comfortable mid-table finish as a respectable outcome. Recent form has been somewhat inconsistent, but Klose’s side have become increasingly difficult to beat, suffering just one defeat in their last seven matches.
Last weekend, Nürnberg were held to a draw in the Franconian derby against bitter rivals SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Noel Futkeu handed Fürth an early lead before Fabio Gruber levelled for Nürnberg on the stroke of half-time, with neither side able to find a breakthrough after the interval.
Klose insists his side remain motivated despite little left to play for:
“We want to stay in the single digits in the table – that’s our focus and our goal. I don’t know how Schalke will approach it. We are prepared for many things and I think the fans can look forward to a good game.”
Schalke, meanwhile, require little introduction after an outstanding campaign under Miron Muslic. The Royal Blues secured promotion and the league title last weekend, sealing a return to the Bundesliga for the first time since their relegation in 2023. Their recent form has been exceptional, with Schalke unbeaten since January 31 and winners of each of their last five matches.
The victory that confirmed promotion may not have been spectacular, but it was effective. Captain Kenan Karaman scored the decisive goal in a controlled 1-0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf, sparking emotional celebrations inside the Veltins-Arena at full-time.
Despite Schalke already having secured top spot with two matches remaining, Muslic made it clear his side will not ease off:
“We’re going to Nürnberg to win the game. We’re fully focused again now. We owe that to ourselves and to the league.”
Schalke edged the reverse fixture 1-0 back in December, with Vitalie Becker’s second-half strike proving decisive at the Veltins-Arena. The Royal Blues have not won away in Nürnberg since 2023, although the hosts themselves have managed just one victory in the last ten meetings between the sides.
Team news
1. FC Nürnberg: Danilo Soares appears to be the only absentee for the home side.
FC Schalke 04: Loris Karius is unavailable due to a family matter, while Hasan Kuruçay, Nikola Katic, Tomáš Kalas, Bryan Lasme, Henning Matriciani, Emil Højlund and Finn Porath are all sidelined through injury.
Predicted lineups
1. FC Nürnberg (4-3-1-2): Reichert (GK) – Koudossou, Gruber, Lochoshvili, Yilmaz – Fernandez, Markhiev, Becker – Justvan – Scobel, Zoma
FC Schalke 04 (4-2-3-1): Müller (GK) – T. Becker, Ayhan, Sanchez, N’Diaye – El-Faouzi, Schallenberg – Ljubicic, Karaman, Aouchiche – Sylla
