No other fixture in German football exerts a rivalry in the same breath as the Revierderby. The 85 games in the Bundesliga between the Black n Yellows and the Royal Blues have attracted a total attendance of more than 4.8 million fans so far, and every meeting in Dortmund since 1987 has been a sell-out!

The Scenario: It’s 12th against fourth. For the first time in four years the two clubs are separated by eight places entering the Derby (in 2010/11 BVB were top of the Bundesliga, Schalke were 11th). Both sides go into this fixture having won four of the last 10 meetings against each other. Borussia, however, have only won one of the last seven and two of the last 15 home games against Schalke, respectively.

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Home/Away: BVB have only lost one of their last five home games (against Augsburg). This season, they have only scored 13 goals at their home ground – less than half as many as at the same stage last year (28). Schalke have only lost one of their four matches on the road (at Frankfurt). This season, they have only picked up 10 points on their travels, a lot less than at the same stage last season (18).

Team News: Kampl (virus) and Sokratis (muscular problem) are doubtful, Piszczek (ankle), Grosskreutz (thigh) and Durm (match fitness) are definitively ruled out. Schalke will be without Kirchhoff (ankle), Matip (thigh), Giefer (groin), Fährmann (knee), Kolasinac, Goretzka (both match fitness), Draxler (hamstring), Obasi (shin) and Farfan (knee).

Tactics: BVB are likely to return to a 4-2-3-1, while Schalke is expected to set up in a 3-5-2. The last time Schalke started with a back four was against Freiburg in week 11.

Head-To-Head: Ahead of the 146th Derby, the Royal Blues are ahead in the head-to-head battle (58 wins, 38 draws, 49 defeats), but most of their wins date back to the pre-Bundesliga era. In the Bundesliga, both sides have an evenly-balanced record, with both winning 30 matches (25 draws). BVB have won 18 of the 42 home games against Schalke, with the last win dating back to November 2011. In the past 11 years, Schalke have recorded more away wins at BVB than at any other ground (six). However, Schalke have lost in 10 of 21 occasions in Dortmund after opening the scoring, more than at any other ground in the Bundesliga.

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Statistics: Both sides are good in preserving a 1-0 lead. Borussia have lost only one of the last 10 matches after scoring the opening goal, Schalke haven’t lost any of the last 10 games when they scored first. BVB have not earned a red card this season while Schalke have already seen four of their players sent off (more than any other club in the Bundesliga this season).

Biggest Home Win: BVB romped to a 7-0 victory over their neighbours in the 1965/66 season, with Siggi Held, Aki Schmidt, Siggi Held, Wilhelm Sturm, Hoppy Kurrat, Aki Schmidt and Lothar Emmerich scoring the goals at Rote Erde stadium on 26 February 1966.

Attendance: The Derby has been a sell-out in Dortmund since 1987 – a total of 79,500 fans will pack Signal Iduna Pack on Saturday, with 1,100 seats remaining empty for security reasons.

Referee: Felix Zwayer (33) will be in charge of a Borussia Dortmund game for the 12th time. His last time he refereed BVB was the home game against Hoffenheim (1-0). Marcel Pelgrim and Marco Achmüller will be his assistants, while Christian Dingert will act as the fourth official.