The pre-match build-up and discussion leading up to the Revierderby is, unfortunately, defined by injuries. Who is not playing is just as important as who is playing. Both Jurgen Klopp and Huub Stevens have massive decisions to make with their teams, as Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 are both without key players.
Borussia Dortmund Vs. Schalke 04, 2011 Bundesliga: Königsblauen Underdogs In Revierderby
Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 do battle at the Westfalenstadion in the first Revierderby of the season
Der BVB lost Neven Subotic with a broken orbital earlier in the month and have now lost another key player through a facial injury. Sven Bender has broken his jaw and will be unavailable for the match. Mario Götze is a doubt, but says that he is fit to start. Felipe Santana will continue to replace Subotic in defense, while Bender could be replaced by either Moritz Leitner or Ilkay Gündogan if Klopp wants to get aggressive. Ivan Perisic is another option. Bender is a huge loss and there is no like-for-like replacement, but Dortmund has an embarrassment of riches.
Schalke will still be without their captain and best central defender Benedikt Höwedes. Without him in the team, youngsters Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Joel Matip started in defense in last week’s 4-0 win over Nürnburg. Both are extremely talented, but both are also very young players and have had just as much, if not more experience playing defensive midfield roles as they have had playing central defense.
The youth of that defense and the quality of Dortmund’s midfield will heap pressure on American international defensive midfielder Jermaine Jones, who will have to be fantastic for Schalke to come away with points at the Westfalenstadion. He has been in and out of favor depending on who has managed Schalke over the last couple of years, but with both Matip and Papadopoulos in defense, Huub Stevens doesn’t have any choice. Jones has to start, and he has to play well.
Going forward, Die Königsblauen will have deadly forward tandem Raul and Klass-Jan Huntelaar healthy. Peruvian star Jefferson Farfan is still out after picking up an injury on international duty, but Lewis Holtby is fit and in fantastic form. Also, set to get his first Revierderby start is Julian Draxler, Schalke’s 18-year-old wonderkid who has quickly gone from promising teenager to first-choice player. He will likely have to do a fair bit of defending and creating in this match, and it will be interesting to see how he deals with the occasion.
Despite Dortmund's injuries, the combination of the quality that they do have in the side and the home crowd will make them favorites for the derby. Both of their center forwards, Lucas Barrios and Robert Lewandowski, are fit. Götze is ready to play and will make up the band of three behind the striker with Kevin Grosskreutz and Shinji Kagawa. Even with Bender out, the BVB bench will feature 'Kuba' Jakub Blaszczykowski, one of Lewandowski or Barrios, and two of Perisic, Leitner and Gündogan. There are Bundesliga veterans and full internationals who cannot make the BVB 18-man squad, even with Bender and Subotic out.
It will take a masterful tactical plan from Stevens, some individual brilliance from Raul, Huntelaar and Holtby, and/or a complete and utter anomaly for Schalke to get a win. They'll need at least a couple of those things to happen to get a point. Bayern may be the best team in Germany, but Dortmund are the deepest and their crowd is possibly the loudest in Europe. The deck is firmly stacked against Die Königsblauen.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04
Game Date / Time: Saturday, November 26, 9:30 am ET
Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
TV: GolTV (USA and Canada)
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