“The Derby” coming
The tension in the run for the Champions League positions and German championship is rather low at the moment. Matchday 25 however is waiting with the most competitive and probably most anticipated Derby of German Bundesliga: FC Schalke 04 receives Borussia Dortmund. A whole area will be in state of exception on Saturday afternoon. FC Bayern will meet Duesseldorf at the same time while Bayer Leverkusen be guest in Mainz.
Both supporters are full of hatred for each other.
While the question who will win the championship in Germany this season is most certainly already answered matchday 25 has something special waiting for the German football fan. This Saturday the mother of all Derbies in Germany will take place when FC Schalke 04 will receive rival Borussia Dortmund.
The “Revierderby” as it is called in Germany is more than football for the supporters of the two clubs. When the teams will enter the field on Saturday it will be about supremacy, about prestige. There is no comparison nationally when it comes to animosity between two football clubs.
Schalke won the first leg this season with 2-1 after not winning four games before that. BVB won the last two games in Schalke. The last time Dortmund were able to win three in a row on Schalke´s grounds was back in the 60ths.
Borussia Dortmund will possibly have to start without Kehl and Bender as both suffer from medium injuries. Nuri Sahin who just came back to Dortmund might have a chance for his first appearance in the starting eleven. Also Mats Hummels will probably be able to play again. Schalke will have to play without the recently strong playing Jermaine Jones who got his fifth yellow card last match.
Bayern receiving Duesseldorf
FC Bayern at the same time will meet Fortuna Duesseldorf in Allianz Arena. Nobody expects anything other than a clear win from Bayern as they seem unbeatable at the moment. Bayer 04 Leverkusen will play in Mainz and Borussia Moenchengladbach will have to fight with Werder Bremen for the points.
Already on Friday night another Derby will take place when the two southern clubs FC Augsburg and 1. FC Nuremberg will encounter. More games on Saturday will take place between SC Freiburg and VFL Wolfsburg as well as between Greuther Fuerth and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Hanover 96 and Eintracht Frankfurt will meet on Sunday for the second to last match of this matchday. Frankfurt will be looking to strengthen their fourth position by winning while Hanover will be able to get back on track to Europa League if they are able to secure three points.
Hamburger SV will try to do the same in the last match this weekend against VFB Stuttgart on late Sunday. Hamburg had been on little role but disappointed their supporters with the weak draw against Fuerth last week. Stuttgart are in the middle of nowhere right now sitting on position eleven with three points shy of next place and seven point lead towards position 16 in chart. Plus in Europa League things are not going well as they lost the first leg of the round of the last 16 against Lazio Rome with 0-2 on home turf.
