Dortmund vs Schalke: Odds, Pick for the Revierderby

Borussia Dortmund (-125) vs Schalke 04 (+400), Draw (+333)

Forget Der Klassiker. The rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich isn’t much of a rivalry at all. As far as BVB fans are concerned, the Revierderby, a long-running derby between Dortmund and Schalke, is the one that matters.

For the last few seasons the Revierderby hasn’t held much significance for the rest of the Bundesliga. The gulf between the Ruhr region clubs had grown to the point where the derby was at risk of becoming irrelevant. Dortmund began to entertain serious Champions League ambitions while Schalke became a mid-table club. Last season, Dortmund finished in third the league while Schalke sank to tenth.

But now all that has changed. After a tremendous start, Dortmund are flailing and currently sit in fifth place, while Schalke is riding high in second. Yet only three points separates the bitter rivals and the outcome of the upcoming match at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion (Saturday, November 25th) could reshuffle the Bundesliga standings.

This isn’t a Revierderby you want to miss.

Recent Record and Form

Borussia Dortmund (6-2-4, 20 points) and Schalke 04 (7-2-3, 23 points) have similar records on paper, but their trajectories couldn’t be more different.

Dortmund hit the ground running, opening the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak that propelled them to the top of the table. Since then, for reasons still not completely understood, they have completely tanked. They have failed to win a single game in their last five league matches and are currently on a three-game losing streak.

On the other hand, Schalke followed an unremarkable start to the season with a seven-game unbeaten run (all competitions). Without any European cups to worry about, S04 are able to completely immerse themselves in the Bundesliga.

Head-to-Head Record

Dortmund has dominated the derby in recent years. In their last eight encounters, Schalke have only managed a single win. The last came in 2014, and they haven’t won at the Westfalenstadion since 2012. But Schalke hasn’t looked this good in quite some time and the stars may be aligned for them to deal a killer blow to their weakened rivals.

Players to Watch

Schalke boast a young squad, stacked with players we’ll be hearing a lot more about in the not-too-distant future. Midfielders Leon Goretzka (22) and Max Meyer (22) have been billed as the future of German football. Up front, Breel Embolo (20) still needs a bit of time to adapt to the Bundesliga but will wreak havoc once he does.

Dortmund’s stars are riddled with issues. At their best, Marco Reus and Mario Götze make up one of the most dangerous partnerships in Europe. But Reus will probably miss the rest of the season due to injury and Götze is still not at his best after missing the bulk of last season due to a metabolic illness.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Bundesliga’s top scorer, is in the regaining his form, but he’s also been clashing with management. Dortmund sidelined him last weekend, citing disciplinary issues, and the star striker was forced to watch his team lose to Stuttgart from the stands. The Gabon international has been suspended twice by his own manager this season and seems ready to leave the club behind. He’ll start against Schalke, but we won’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.

Pick: Schalke 04 (+400)

Dortmund haven’t tasted victory in over a month and it’s starting to wear on the players. While BVB have the more established lineup, Schalke are the ones with all the momentum. Burdened by injuries, low morale, and a star striker on the verge of leaving, the Revierderby couldn’t come at a worse time for Dortmund. The time is ripe for Schalke to put one over on their rivals.