Schalke vs Real Madrid – News and Probable Lineups

Real Madrid will complete their pre-season fixtures with a friendly match against Bundesliga team Schalke 04 this Sunday afternoon.

Los Blancos are set to kick off their 2026-27 La Liga campaign against Espanyol on August 22, while Schalke will begin their 2026-27 season with a matchup against Hallescher in the DFB Pokal on August 24.

Match overview

This fixture also marks Schalke’s final pre-season encounter, as they have had an active summer with six matches, achieving four victories, but will arrive at this game following a 3-0 loss to Italian club Atalanta BC.

Miron Muslic’s team will face Hallescher in the DFB Pokal on August 24, before starting their 2026-27 Bundesliga journey against Augsburg on August 30.

The Royal Blues clinched the 2. Bundesliga title last season, which has earned them a spot back in the top division, marking their first Bundesliga season since 2022-23.

Schalke have made six signings during this close season, bringing in players such as Satoshi Tanaka, Junior Dina Ebimbe, and Junior Adamu, while seven players have departed, including Ilyes Hamache.

Real Madrid has been in action four times during pre-season, kicking off their preparations with a 4-1 triumph over Leganes.

After that, Los Blancos played a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina before securing wins against Ferencvaros and Deportivo La Coruna. This match represents their last pre-season outing ahead of the La Liga opener against Espanyol on August 22.

Jose Mourinho’s squad will play their match against Real Sociedad in the first week of the season on August 26, having had their originally scheduled game for this weekend postponed.

Real Madrid has made six new signings this summer to enhance their squad, welcoming Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva, while Vinicius Junior has renewed his contract.

Gonzalo Garcia has been their most notable departure, and it will be interesting to see how Mourinho performs in his second term at the helm of the capital giants.

Schalke 04 form (all competitions):

Team News

Schalke will be missing Adrian Gantenbein due to injury this weekend, but aside from that, the team is in good condition for the match against Real Madrid.

Loris Karius is expected to start in goal, and new signing Tanaka is likely to take a spot in midfield.

Edin Dzeko has extended his contract with Schalke for another year, and the experienced striker is anticipated to play an important role in the attacking lineup.

Real Madrid will be without Endrick on Sunday due to a muscle issue; however, Kylian Mbappe is back in training after his World Cup commitments and is expected to make his first appearance under Mourinho.

Thibaut Courtois remains sidelined with an injury, meaning that Andriy Lunin will take up the position in goal, while Aurelien Tchouameni, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy are also unavailable.

Diomande may make his debut for Real Madrid during this match, while Marc Cucurella and Konate could also feature, most likely from the bench.

It is uncertain if Jude Bellingham will participate for the first time in pre-season.

Schalke 04 probable starting XI:

Karius; Becker, Katic, Kurucay, Gosens; Schallenberg, Tanaka, Gruger; Porath, Dzeko, Karaman

Real Madrid probable starting XI:

Monday; Dumfries, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Bernardo, Valverde; Diaz, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe

Real Madrid will be eager to finish off their pre-season with a win, and we anticipate Mourinho’s squad to achieve success against Schalke on Sunday.