Schalke 04 welcome defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to the VELTINS-Arena on Saturday, September 5, 2026, for Matchday 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 18:30 CEST.
The fixture returns to the Bundesliga after more than three years. Schalke earned promotion as 2. Bundesliga champions last season but began their top-flight campaign with a 3-0 defeat at Augsburg. Bayern made the opposite start, beating VfB Stuttgart 5-1 before adding a 4-1 DFB-Pokal victory at Osnabrück in midweek.
Historical results heavily favor Bayern, although the long gap since the teams last met means current squad quality and form deserve greater weight than older meetings.
Read Also: Premier League Clubs Break Transfer Spending Record With £3.46bn Summer Outlay
Head-to-Head Summary
Bayern's recent record against Schalke is exceptionally strong.
Across the last 10 competitive meetings:
Schalke 04 wins: 0
Bayern Munich wins: 10
Draws: 0
Schalke 04 goals: 2
Bayern Munich goals: 36
Bayern have therefore won every one of the last 10 competitive encounters and kept eight clean sheets. Schalke have not even scored in the last seven meetings, a sequence that includes Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal games.
The most recent encounter came in May 2023, when Bayern won 6-0 in Munich. However, Schalke's current team is substantially different from the side that was relegated that season, so those historical numbers should support rather than dictate the assessment.
Last 10 Meetings
The most recent competitive meetings are:
May 13, 2023 – Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 6-0 Schalke 04
November 12, 2022 – Bundesliga: Schalke 04 0-2 Bayern Munich
January 24, 2021 – Bundesliga: Schalke 04 0-4 Bayern Munich
September 18, 2020 – Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 8-0 Schalke 04
March 3, 2020 – DFB-Pokal: Schalke 04 0-1 Bayern Munich
January 25, 2020 – Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 5-0 Schalke 04
August 24, 2019 – Bundesliga: Schalke 04 0-3 Bayern Munich
February 9, 2019 – Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 3-1 Schalke 04
September 22, 2018 – Bundesliga: Schalke 04 0-2 Bayern Munich
February 10, 2018 – Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 2-1 Schalke 04
The aggregate score of 36-2 illustrates how one-sided the rivalry became before Schalke's latest spell outside the top flight. Home advantage has not protected Schalke either. Bayern won each of their last four competitive visits to Gelsenkirchen without conceding.
Read Also: Champions League Squad Registration Deadline: What Clubs Must Decide for 2026-27
Schalke 04 Current Form
Schalke's last five competitive results are:
Augsburg 3-0 Schalke 04
Hallescher FC 2-5 Schalke 04
Schalke 04 1-0 Eintracht Braunschweig
Nürnberg 3-0 Schalke 04
Schalke 04 1-0 Fortuna Düsseldorf
That gives Miron Muslić's side three wins and two defeats, although three of those games came at 2. Bundesliga level last season. Schalke's promotion was built largely on defensive strength. They finished as second-tier champions with 70 points and had the division's best defensive record, conceding only 28 goals.
The Bundesliga opener was therefore disappointing. Augsburg scored three times without reply and exposed the difference between dominating at second-tier level and facing established Bundesliga opposition. Schalke should nevertheless benefit from playing their first home league match back in the top flight in front of a full VELTINS-Arena.
Bayern Munich Current Form
Bayern have won each of their first three competitive games of the season:
VfL Osnabrück 1-4 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 5-1 VfB Stuttgart
Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich 3-0 VfB Stuttgart
Bayern Munich 5-1 Cologne
The final two games in that sequence came at the end of last season, including the DFB-Pokal final. Across those five matches, Bayern have scored 19 goals and conceded three. Vincent Kompany's side began the new campaign by beating Dortmund in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, then dismantled Stuttgart on the opening Bundesliga weekend.
They did fall behind early at Osnabrück in Wednesday's cup tie, but responded calmly to win 4-1. Harry Kane scored twice, while Tom Bischof and Michael Olise added the other goals. The pattern is clear: Bayern continue to create chances in large numbers and have several different sources of goals.
Read Also: Champions League 2026/27 Fixtures Confirmed
Schalke 04 Team News and Injuries
Schalke have several confirmed absences. Adrian Gantenbein is out with an ankle injury, while Emil Højlund is sidelined with an Achilles problem and Bryan Lasme remains unavailable because of a calf injury.
Midfielder Ron Schallenberg is suspended, removing another option from Muslić's central midfield. Captain Kenan Karaman is doubtful because of match fitness rather than being confirmed unavailable.
That leaves Schalke with decisions to make around an experienced attacking group that can include Edin Džeko, Adil Aouchiche and Dejan Ljubičić.
Bayern Munich Team News and Injuries
Bayern have no confirmed first-team absentee listed ahead of the match. However, Serge Gnabry is doubtful with a groin problem, while Jamal Musiala's availability remains dependent on his match fitness. Kompany therefore has an almost complete squad available despite playing in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.
Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz are all available, while Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović and Ismael Saibari provide different midfield options. That depth also gives Bayern the ability to rotate without significantly reducing their attacking quality.
Tactical Match Analysis
Schalke's biggest challenge will be remaining compact without becoming permanently pinned around their penalty area. Muslić has regularly used a three-centre-back structure, with wing-backs responsible for providing width. Against Bayern, those wing-backs are likely to spend considerably more time defending.
Olise and Díaz can isolate defenders in wide areas, while Kane's movement creates a different problem centrally. If Schalke's centre-backs follow Kane when he drops deeper, Bayern can attack the space behind them. Schalke therefore need discipline between defence and midfield.
Their most realistic attacking opportunities may come during transitions. Bayern are expected to dominate possession and commit numbers forward, leaving moments when Schalke can play directly towards Džeko or release Aouchiche into space.
Džeko's experience could be valuable because Schalke need an attacker capable of holding possession long enough for teammates to move forward. Set pieces may offer another route. In a match where open-play chances could be limited, Schalke cannot afford to waste corners or attacking free kicks.
For Bayern, patience is important. Schalke should defend in larger numbers than Stuttgart did for parts of the opening weekend, so Kompany's side may need to move the ball from side to side before spaces appear.
Key Players to Watch
1. Edin Džeko
Džeko gives Schalke experience and physical presence against Bayern's centre-backs. His hold-up play could be crucial when the hosts need relief from sustained pressure.
2. Adil Aouchiche
Aouchiche scored the goal that completed Schalke's title-winning 2. Bundesliga season. His creativity between midfield and attack offers the hosts one of their better routes to creating chances.
3. Harry Kane
Kane has started the season strongly and scored twice against Osnabrück in midweek. His finishing, movement and link play make him Bayern's most important central attacking threat.
4. Michael Olise
Olise has already scored in the Supercup, against Stuttgart and in the DFB-Pokal. His ability to create from the right could be especially difficult for Schalke's wing-back system to contain.
What the Numbers Tell Us
The evidence strongly favors Bayern:
Bayern have won the last 10 competitive meetings.
They have outscored Schalke 36-2 during that sequence.
Schalke have failed to score in the last seven H2Hs.
Bayern have won the last four competitive meetings in Gelsenkirchen without conceding.
Schalke lost their Bundesliga opener 3-0 at Augsburg.
Bayern opened with a 5-1 win over Stuttgart.
Bayern have scored 11 goals in three competitive games this season.
Schalke earned promotion after conceding only 28 goals in 34 second-tier matches last season.
The contrast is significant. Schalke's promotion-winning defensive numbers are impressive, but Bayern represent a far higher attacking level than the opposition they faced last season.
Who Has the Advantage?
Bayern Munich have a clear statistical advantage. Few recent H2H records are as decisive as 10 consecutive victories with a 36-2 aggregate score. Current form strengthens the case. Bayern have already beaten Dortmund, Stuttgart and Osnabrück this season and continue to produce goals from several positions.
Schalke's home support and strong defensive record from their promotion season offer some encouragement. Newly promoted teams can also be difficult to assess early because the energy surrounding their return to the Bundesliga can make home fixtures more competitive than expected.
A draw is possible if Schalke defend exceptionally well, limit Bayern's transitions, and make efficient use of set pieces. However, the available evidence provides little statistical basis for calling the matchup balanced. Bayern enter with the clear edge.
Conclusion
Schalke 04 vs Bayern Munich brings one of German football's traditional fixtures back to the Bundesliga after a three-year absence. Schalke earned their return by winning the 2. Bundesliga with an excellent defensive record, but the 3-0 opening defeat at Augsburg showed the challenge of adjusting to top-flight opposition.
Bayern have started from a very different position. The defending champions have already lifted the Supercup, beaten Stuttgart 5-1 and progressed comfortably in the DFB-Pokal.
The historical matchup is equally difficult for Schalke: Bayern have won the last 10 competitive meetings and conceded only twice across them. The VELTINS-Arena should give the hosts energy, but current form, squad quality and the H2H record all give Bayern Munich a clear statistical advantage.