No other fixture reels in the fans quite like this one, with more than five million spectators having attended the previous 93 Bundesliga derbies between the Black & Yellows and the Royal Blues. Every meeting in Dortmund has been sold out since 1987.

The scenario: Never before has the points difference (42) between the clubs in the run-up to a derby been as big as it is now. Second-placed Dortmund beat 15th-placed Schalke 2-1 in the reverse fixture to claim their first win in Gelsenkirchen in three years. The last time BVB did the double over their rivals was in the 2011/12 title-winning season.

Home/away: The Black & Yellows have won each of their last four home games, have yet to lose this season in front of their own fans and have scored at least twice in every match at Signal Iduna Park. The Royal Blues have only won one of their last six league away matches − a 1-0 victory against Hannover 96 on 31 March. Only Hoffenheim (six) have drawn more away games than Schalke (five) this term.

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Personnel matters: Hakimi (broken metatarsal) and Zagadou (knee complaints) will definitely miss out, while Piszczek (foot problems) remains a major doubt. But there is hope Wolf could feature. Meanwhile, according to kicker, Schalke are without Konoplyanka, Skrzybski, Schöpf, Uth and Riether.

Head-to-head record: Thanks to the Gauliga era, Schalke have the marginally better head-to-head going into the 154th derby (W59 D42 L52). Dortmund, however, have only lost one of the last eight meetings (W3 D4). The Royal Blues have given away more penalties against the Black & Yellows than any other team (14), have only won once in Dortmund after conceding first (2-1 victory on 13 August 2005) and have thrown away a lead at the Strobelallee 11 times. The derby has produced more goalless draws (10) than any other Bundesliga pairing.

Statistics: BVB have won five of their last six league games and have the second-most goals (72) after Bayern Munich (79). No team has won more penalties than Schalke (seven). However, the Gelsenkirchen club have only picked up one win in their last 12 games and have only kept a clean sheet on one of their last eight outings in the Bundesliga.

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Biggest home win: Borussia Dortmund crushed their Ruhr rivals 7-0 in front of 30,000 fans at the Rote Erde Stadion on Matchday 23 of the 1965/66 season. The goals in that game, played on 26 February 1966, were scored by Siggi Held, Aki Schmidt, Siggi Held, Wilhelm Sturm, Hoppy Kurrat, Aki Schmidt and Lothar Emmerich.

Referee: Berlin native Felix Zwayer, 37, is overseeing his fourth Ruhr derby − there have previously been two draws and a BVB win − and his 25th Bundesliga match involving BVB (W11 D11 L2). This term, he has already taken charge of the draws in Hanover (0-0) and Frankfurt (1-1), as well as the 2-1 home win against Gladbach.
Compiled by Boris Rupert