Preview: Maribor vs. Schalke 04

Both Maribor and Schalke 04 have plenty to play for when they meet at the Stadion Ljudski vrt on Wednesday night on the final day of the Champions League group stages.

Slovenian side Maribor will finish in third place and qualify for the UEFA Europa League if they pick up their first win of the competition, while Schalke need to win and hope that already-confirmed group winners Chelsea see off Sporting Lisbon in the group's other game.

Victory for Ante Simundza's Maribor would relegate Schalke, who are trying to reach the knockout stage for the fifth straight season, down into fourth place and out of all European competition.

Roberto Di Matteo's Schalke will be without Julian Draxler because of a hamstring injury, while other key players Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Marco Hoger are all one booking away from a suspension.

If Schalke are to progress, they will have to inflict a first home defeat of the season on Maribor in Europe. The Slovenian champions won two and drew one of their qualifiers at home and have also held Sporting and Chelsea to 1-1 draws.

In fact, the last three European games played at the Stadio Ljudski vrt have finished as 1-1 draws.

That is also how the reverse fixture between these sides on matchday two ended in Gelsenkirchen. Huntelaar's equaliser back in September is Schalke's only goal from outside the box in this season's Champions League.

Maribor:

Form in Champions League: WDDLDL Form in all competitions: WWLWWW

Possible starting lineup: Handanovic; Mejac, Rajcevic, Arghus, Filipovic, Sallalich, Vrsic, Stojanovic, Mertelj, Tavares, Zahovic

Schalke:

Form in Champions League: LLWLWW Form in all competitions: LDDWLL

Possible starting lineup: Fahrmann; Uchida, Howedes, Santana, Aogo, Neustadter, Kirchhoff, Hoger, Boateng, Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar

Sports Mole says: 1-2