SCHALKE VS DORTMUND PREVIEW & PREDICTION
Who will be master behind the champion? This question might be answered on Sunday. Because with FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund meet the teams on the ranks two and three on each other. This gives the Revierderby at the same time still a certain note. The first leg will probably be remembered by someone who does not wear black-yellow or royal blue. With 4: 0 led Dortmund at home to halftime, but then gave the game but actually out of hand. In injury time Schalke still managed the goal to 4: 4-final.
Schalke:
Six games in the Bundesliga in a row Schalke had won last and not conceded a goal in the last five threes. Then came the last weekend the guest appearance at relegation-threatened HSV and thus the worst attack in the German House of Lords. And as is sometimes the case in football, Schalke conceded not only one and not two, but three goals conceded and thus more than in the eight games in the Bundesliga before. With 2: 3 Schalke should lose this game, but still keep second place in the table. But the lead over the pursuers should of course melt through bankruptcy. Dortmund has come to one point, Leverkusen on four counters. But important is the advantage of the miners in fifth place. With six points more than Eintracht from Frankfurt Schalke is unlikely to take the Champions League in the next season.
Nevertheless, shortly before the end of the season, the runner-up is the goal of the Schalke, who last occupied the second place in the Bundesliga in the 2009/2010 season. With a draw Schalke would naturally keep the Dortmund behind. Anyway, Schalke have a good record this season at home. With eight wins, four draws and only two defeats against Bayern and Bremen in 14 home games Schalke comes home at 28 points and thus as many as Dortmund, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. His last three home games – with the victory in the DFB Cup four games – has won all Schalke, had with the exception of Hoffenheim with Hertha and Freiburg but not the most difficult program. Against Dortmund lost Schalke only one of his last five home games and otherwise brought three wins and a draw. But: Altogether Schalke is waiting for six direct duels for a win against BVB. After two defeats in Dortmund, there were last four draws in series.
Dortmund:
What applies to FC Schalke, applies in part to Borussia Dortmund. With four consecutive draws, Black and Yellow has just waited four direct duels for a win over Royal Blue. A draw was scoreless, the others ended 2: 2, 1: 1 and 4: 4 last. Interesting: In the 1: 1 led the BVB, the 2-2 led Dortmund even twice and in the first leg this season led the Borussia at home even with 4-0. None of these many tours could bring Dortmund to the finish. But this Sunday, the Dortmund have a coach at the side, who has at least never lost to Schalke. In his time as coach of the Cologne Peter Stoeger took in Gelsenkirchen three away victories in series, before it in the first round this season away after two defeats still enough for a 2: 2. Small Anecdote: The 2: 2 on Schalke was the last game of Stöger as coach of 1. FC Cologne. Less than three weeks later, the Billy goats returned to Schalke in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup and lost under Stefan Ruthenbeck promptly with 0: 1 – for the first time in Gelsenkirchen since 2013.
Stöger is unlikely to be coach of Borussia next season. Nevertheless, the Austrian will want to bid farewell. In 19 competitive matches under Stoeger Dortmund conceded three defeats and one each in the Bundesliga, the Europa League and the DFB Pokal. Two of these three bankruptcies were again against Bayern, with the 0: 6 from the penultimate weekend still in everyone’s memory. The balance of the remaining 16 games under Stöger is not the best with nine wins and seven draws. The runner-up is certainly still the goal, in the end, the BVB after a messy season, just be happy about qualifying for the Champions League. Away Dortmund has three defeats together with Bayern, the fewest, but otherwise comes only on six away wins and five draws. With 57 hits scored
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / YES @ 1.64
