Bundesliga: Dortmund and Schalke Gear Up for the 100th Edition of the Revierderby

Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04

Ruhr district neighbours Borussia Dortmund and Schalke are set to renew their storied rivalry.

The Revierderby is one of the classic matchups here in the Bundesliga. And now that Schalke are back in the German top-flight after a one-season absence, football fans are going to see more from these two proud sides starting this weekend.

Borussia Dortmund are fresh from a disheartening loss against Manchester City in the Champions League group stage, while Schalke are coming off their first win of the 2022-23 season.

BVB are backed heavily by the pre-match SBOTOP betting odds to win given their position at the table compared to their visitors, but it won’t necessarily matter come Saturday night at Signal Iduna Park.

Talking Points

Jude Bellingham shining for Borussia Dortmund

Jude Bellingham has been the consistent bright spot for Borussia Dortmund this season. Even if they’re coming off losses against RB Leipzig and Manchester City, the hosts are bound to snap out of it with the Englishman on their side.

At just 19 years old, Bellingham is mature beyond his years with his experience. He already has a full Championship season, almost three Bundesliga campaigns, and 18 Champions League appearances thus far.

The former Birmingham City midfielder is the complete package. Bellingham has the stamina and pace to punish his opponents and he continues to get better in facets such as shooting, passing, and defending.

Against City yesterday, Bellingham put BVB up 1-0 and it looked like they were about to pull off the massive upset. However, late goals from John Stones and from former teammate Erling Haaland sealed the comeback for the reigning Premier League champions.

Over the years, Borussia Dortmund have seen their young stars come and go – including Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland most recently. If they have plans to finally unseat Bayern Munich, BVB would have to hold on to Bellingham for dear life, especially with Liverpool keeping tabs on him for January.

Moreover, Bellingham’s performances should also merit him a spot in England’s national team for the upcoming international break.

Schalke aiming to stay in the Bundesliga for good

Schalke have returned to the German top-flight after winning the 2021-22 Bundesliga 2 and for sure they’re not going to take this granted.

However, the Royal Blues have their work cut out for them if they’ll be extending their stay in the league. It starts on the defencive end where they’ve conceded 44 goals last term.

Schalke’s backline is anchored by the centre-back combo of Maya Yoshida and Marcin Kaminski. Unfortunately for them, Kaminski is dealing with a calf injury and he’s likely to be replaced by Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg in the starting XI for this weekend’s contest.

Up front, Schalke have some decent firepower that can give their opponents problems since five players have already found the back of the net this season.

Marius Bulter is their top scorer with three, while Dominick Drexler, Sebastian Polter, Rodrigo Zalazar, and last season’s 30-goal man Simon Terodde have one each.

History

The Revierderby is one of the fiercest and well-known rivalries in world football today.

In the 99 matches that they’ve shared prior to Saturday night, BVB have the slight edge with 36 wins, while Schalke have won 32 times along with 30 draws.

Borussia Dortmund have won each of their last three derbies for the first time since between 1982 and 1984 and they’re the first team in this fixture to secure four straight clean sheets – including their 4-0 result last February 2021 when Schalke were still in the Bundesliga.

This fixture has produced a ton of classics over the years. Perhaps the most notable one in recent memory took place in November 2017, where Borussia Dortmund built a 4-0 half-time lead only to be pegged back for a 4-4 draw when Schalke replied with four goals in the second half.

Betting Tip

This is a game Borussia Dortmund need to win and the Bundesliga 2022 odds offer them a good chance to do so. BVB are installed at 1.36, while Schalke are priced at 7.80 and chances for a draw are at 4.80 in the 1X2 market.

The 100^th edition of the Revierderby in the Bundesliga era promises to be a banger, so expect multiple Bundesliga 2022 highlights to come out from this match.

With that said, goals are likely to be scored from both sides – making Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.22 a plausible alternative bet, with the home side scoring more.

 

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