Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund 26/10/19

26 October 2019

The first Revierderby of the 2019/20 Bundesliga (BL) season sees the two sides with the identical returns from their last three league fixtures (W1, D1, L1) come face-to-face as Schalke 04 welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Veltins Arena.

Sitting just two points adrift of league toppers Borussia Monchengladbach, the hosts are winless in their last two BL outings (D1, L1), with both of those matches featuring under 2.5 goals. However, three of their four BL home matches have featured goals in both halves and produced over 2.5 goals, with Schalke coming out on top twice (W2, L1). The home fans can be encouraged by Schalke’s recent H2H home record against Dortmund (W2, D2, L1), as well as, that the Miners have netted 2+ goals in three of those clashes. A potential worry for David Wagner ahead of this showdown could be Schalke’s recent leaking in defense, as they’ve struggled to keep a clean sheet in five straight BL games in the build-up to this match.

Meanwhile, rocked by a 2-0 away loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League, the visitors will be desperate to bounce back and put an end to their frustrating three-game winless BL away run (D2, L1). Interestingly, all four of Dortmund’s BL away matches this term have produced precisely four goals and witnessed both teams score. Additionally, both of their BL away draws have ended with the same 2-2 scoreline, while both of their results on the road (win/loss) came via the identical 3-1 scoreline. Lapses of concentration in the closing stage of the matches have seen the BVB concede a goal in the final five minutes in three of their last four trips in all competitions.