Unbeaten U23 fired up for the Revierderby
· Yahoo Sports
Situation
Rios has every reason to be satisfied with the start of the season. Despite major squad turnover in the summer and a small squad during pre-season, Dortmund’s reserves have performed admirably so far. Two unlucky draws in Bochum and against 1. FC Köln (both 1-1), as well as two wins in Bergisch Gladbach (3-1) and Hilden (2-0), are grounds for optimism not only ahead of the derby but also for the coming months.
Tuesday’s match will be a showdown between neighboring teams in the table. Fourth-placed Gelsenkirchen sit just ahead of BVB on nine points, having played one game more, while Dortmund have eight. “Every win naturally boosts your confidence,” coach Rios said, hopeful that the recent upward trend will continue. A victory in this high-profile clash could help extend their current run of four unbeaten matches and push them into the group of top teams.
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Rios said the atmosphere in the days leading up to kick-off is different from the usual league routine: “Dortmund against Schalke — that’s always something special. The boys know that, they can feel it, because there’s always a lot of talk around it. We’re looking forward to measuring ourselves against Schalke.”
Squad
The coach will have to do without Arne Wessels against Schalke after he was sent off for a second booking in Hilden. The availability of the recently absent youngsters Fadi Zarqelain and Diego Ngambia is also doubtful. “We’ll have to see how their health situation develops,” said Rios.
Opponents
Unlike BVB, who are still unbeaten, FC Schalke have already suffered two defeats. Just how difficult the Royal Blues’ search for greater consistency still is was clear in their wild game in Bocholt on matchday two, when they trailed 0-4 after just 14 minutes but ultimately won 5-4.
In the 2-3 defeat against Paderborn, however, S04 threw away a 2-0 lead. “They’ve had an emotional rollercoaster so far this season,” Rios said, describing the striking ups and downs of the upcoming opponents, before adding: “Like many other teams at this stage, they’re also trying to find their rhythm.”
Clear-cut affairs
The last two Regionalliga meetings between BVB and FC Schalke 04 were both clear-cut affairs for the home side. Last season, the Black and Yellows won the first match at the Rote Erde 4-1, but then lost the return fixture at Schalke’s Parkstadion 0-4.
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