The Revierderby: Dortmund return to Schalke amidst plenty of storylines

For the first time in almost four years Schalke will host Dortmund at home in front of a sellout crowd and the Royal Blues hope to throw a wrench into the Black and Yellow's title ambitions.

Borussia Dortmund finally lost a game in 2023, a crucial fixture in the Champions League against Chelsea. Much will be debated about the penalty, and ultimately, the way the decision was handled comes with plenty of controversy. A controversy that Dortmund will now carry into a crucial Revierderby against rivals Schalke. 

The end of Dortmund’s run of ten wins in a row comes with its own interpretation and storylines. But the most important aspect for the Black and Yellows will be to switch it all off and shift the focus back towards the Bundesliga, where Dortmund are even on points with first-placed Bayern Munich. 

“I was just saying to the lads: ‘Don't let it ruin the momentum that we're building,’” Jude Bellingham said after the Chelsea game. “Obviously, it's awful that we've gotta go out after we done so well to earn a result at home, but that's the game. It's disappointing, but there's a lot to still play for, for us.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Bellingham’s teammate Marius Wolf whose handball led to the penalty and Dortmund’s knockout blow. “It's a pity,” Wolf said. “Today we're disappointed, but tomorrow we'll concentrate fully on Schalke. We want to get back to winning ways there."

Schalke fans, of course, will look gleefully toward Dortmund’s exit from the Champions League and will take it as an opportunity to create further suffering for their biggest rivals. But there is even more to this story.