{"id":551594,"date":"2020-05-15T08:04:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T12:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=551594"},"modified":"2020-05-15T08:04:48","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T12:04:48","slug":"why-borussia-dortmund-may-struggle-against-schalke-as-bundesliga-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/05\/15\/why-borussia-dortmund-may-struggle-against-schalke-as-bundesliga-returns\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Borussia Dortmund May Struggle Against Schalke as Bundesliga Returns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football is finally back since COVID-19 erupted as the Bundesliga<\/a> kicks off tomorrow. The first match in the entire German football lineup is none other than the Revierderby, Borussia Dortmund<\/a> taking on Schalke<\/a> in their 180th derby meeting.<\/p>\n

This will be the first time when the derby will be played behind closed doors. It will be really a strange affair to see Dortmund play without the yellow wall.<\/p>\n

The fixture also holds paramount importance as the German Bundesliga title race is a very tight one. The top five teams are separated by a meagre difference of eight points, which is the closest in Europe’s top leagues.<\/p>\n

Why Borussia Dortmund May Struggle Against Schalke<\/h2>\n

Key Players Missing for Borussia Dortmund<\/h3>\n

The Black and Yellow are without their midfield trio of Axel Witsel<\/a>, Marco Reus<\/a> and Emre Can<\/a>. This is a big blow to the club as this creates instability in the centre of the park for the Germans.<\/p>\n

The suspensions mean that Thomas Delaney<\/a> and Julian Brandt<\/a> will likely start for Dortmund. Even though the duo are an influential pair, they are far from experienced compared to the likes of Witsel and Can.<\/p>\n

Schalke could really grab the opportunity of winning the game in the midfield tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Schalke’s Weapons – Daniel Caligiuri and Amine Harit<\/h3>\n

There is no player in both lineups combined who has more goal contributions in the Revierderby than Daniel Caligiuri<\/a>. The right-winger has scored four goals in six matches against Dortmund and will be the player to watch tomorrow.<\/p>\n

On the other flank, 22-year-old Amine Harit<\/a> is another player who Dortmund will need to contain. The winger has more Bundesliga goals this season than any of his team-mates. He has scored six goals and provided four assists.<\/p>\n

If Dortmund are to have any success in this game, they will have to keep Caligiuri and Harit off the ball as much as possible.<\/p>\n

Without the Yellow Wall<\/h3>\n

Liverpool<\/a>‘s Anfield and Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park are two venues in Europe which are known for their haunting atmosphere for the opposition. But tomorrow, Signal Iduna Park will be empty.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how the German club copes without their famous home support. It will be an unusual atmosphere for the players and may impact their game psychologically.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the return of German football will surely bring a lot of boost to the entire continent struggling with the pandemic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>