MTNFootball

Schalke 04 and Montpellier Hérault SC are in different moods as they meet for the first time in the second round of matches in UEFA Champions League Group B on Wednesday night at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen. Kick-off for the clash is at 20h45 (CAT).

The teams were on different ends of 2-1 scorelines on matchday one, Schalke triumphing at Olympiacos while Montpellier went down at home to Arsenal. Schalke 04 won all three home group games when they were last in the UEFA Champions League and will be looking for a good start against Montpellier.

Schalke have won all three of their home games against French opponents but lost both away. They beat AS Nancy 1-0 in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup first round before a 3-1 defeat in the return in France and Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the group stage of the 2008/09 competition.

In their only Champions League meeting with a Ligue 1 club, The Royal Blues defeated Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 in the group stage in Gelsenkirchen on 24 November 2010; Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scoring twice after Jefferson Farfán put the hosts ahead. They had lost the sides' meeting in Lyon 1-0, Michel Bastos scoring the only goal of the game.

Montpellier, French champions for the first time in 2011/12, have not met German opponents since 1999 and all six previous fixtures came in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In 1997 they lost 2-1 in their semifinal first leg at Köln, winning 1-0 at home in the return to go through on away goals. In their final they went down 4-2 to Lyon.