Dortmund vs. Schalke preview: "The most important game is the derby"
The long-awaited Revierderby is finally back at the Signal Iduna Park on Matchday 7.
Borussia Dortmund
After a crushing defeat in Manchester this week, Dortmund return home to what will be a ludicrous atmosphere at the Signal Iduna Park. BVB lost badly to Marco Rose's Leipzig last weekend and sit 5th in the table without an emphatic league win on their resume.
This could be their chance. Except for a victory over struggling Bochum, Schalke haven't looked great in their first season back in the top flight. With the expected return of both Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen, it's still to be seen whether Edin Terzic starts both Gio Reyna and Julian Brandt out wide. Niklas Süle will likely begin on the bench, while Alexander Meyer starts again in goal to replace Gregor Kobel.
An eye-opening stat from 'bundesliga.com' shares that BVB have conceded one goal in the 422 Bundesliga minutes that Mats Hummels has played this season, compared to six goals in the 188 minutes he hasn’t. With three derby wins in a row, Dortmund haven't won four straight against Schalke in more than 50 years.
Terzic emphasized that, "The most important game is the derby. - It's a very special game. We're really looking forward to it. We'll do everything we can to win this game tomorrow."
Team News
Kobel, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Mahmoud Dahoud, Mateu Morey and Sebastien Haller will all miss out.
Schalke
Schalke finally got their first win of the Bundesliga campaign last weekend and are back in the Revierderby after a year away. Veteran Maya Yoshida should pair Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Bergh in defense, while fans will be craving to see the massive duo of Simon Terodde and Sebastian Polter start together up front.
Schalke have the second worst defensive record so far this season, as Dortmund are expected to roll over the newly-promoted side. Rodrigo Zalazar, who was so vital for Schalke last year, could have something to say about that.
Head coach Frank Kramer stated, "It's vital that we are focused on the game, and turn our emotions into energy. We will need everything we've got: passion, resilience, and determination. And we're going to need every single one of us to do it."
Team News
Marcin Kaminski and Cedric Brunner are out for the contest.