When the Revierderby follows a Champions League match, the build-up to the "mother of all derbies" is usually less intense and passionate than when this clash is dominating the headlines and chatter for weeks - which is just fine with Jürgen Klopp. "Over-motivation is not helpful in any situation, let alone in a derby," said the BVB coach. The 143rd edition, taking place on Saturday at Schalke 04´s Veltis Arena, is sandwiched between the matches against Arsenal.

The hype surrounding the most anticipated football game in Germany is not as big as in other years. Benedikt Höwedes, for example, just said in the build-up that they want to make their fans "happy" with a win over BVB. "We know how crazy they are about the derby," said the S04 skipper. This year, there has not been a single statement from either Schalke or Dortmund that would stir up emotions or add fuel to the fire. Jürgen Klopp said, "In my contract it says that we have 32 Bundesliga games and two derbies. These are the most special games of the season." And in regard to the Arsenal match, he added: "Schalke is a different game, a different atmosphere, and of even greater importance."

"We have 32 Bundesliga games and two derbies"
The focus is now on the 143rd edition of the Revierderby kicking off in Gelsenkircken at 1530 CET on Saturday. With the exception of the injured Kehl, Piszczek and Gündogan, BVB will have a full squad available, while Schalke will be without Farfan, Huntelaar, Höger and Papadopoulos, with Jones and Boateng rated doubtful.

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Jürgen Klopp looks forward to the derby in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday. [picture: Simoes]














"The Blues have good attacking players," said Klopp respectfully, while also making clear that it would be a "big mistake" to focus on single players. Instead he will tell his players to focus their attention on "the players with the ball" to block off passing options and keep Schalke from establishing any momentum. "If we put in our full package of BVB football, our chances will improve greatly," said Klopp, adding that he hopes to see a "passionate, very intense but fair game in which we will be ready to fight for the smallest of advantages." And he said that BVB intend to improve from last year when the two 2-1 defeats to Schalke "had cast a shadow" on an overall successful campaign with BVB finishing second in the Bundesliga and reaching the Champions League final.

On Saturday, BVB will be looking to repeat their performance from 19 September 2010 when they outplayed Schalke at their home ground, with the 3-1 scoreline hardly doing justice to their dominance. That derby, by the way, also took place after a game in Europe - after Borussia´s return to the Europa League (a 4-3 win at Lviv).

Good derby record after European matches
BVB actually seem to prefer derbies taking place after the Champions League, with less hype surrounding the game. In 1996, for example, BVB picked up a 3-1 at Schalke following a match against Atletico Madrid, and in 2002, after a trip to Real Madrid, they earned a 2-2 draw with them.

And two years ago, following a mid-week fixture at Arsenal, BVB eased to a 2-0 win at Schalke...