History of the Revierderby: Borussia Dortmund vs FC Schalke 04

With the Bundesliga ready to return from suspension, Dortmund are set to face their biggest rivals Schalke 04 in the opening game. The rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 is one of the fiercest rivalries in world football. Both clubs have extremely passionate and fanatical fans who look forward to gaining local bragging rights in the Ruhr region of Germany. The Revierderby is split across one divide only: Are you a Royal Blue or a Black-and-yellow?

Although Dortmund seem to have an upper hand in recent years, Schalke were the undisputed rulers of the Ruhr at the start. Schalke won the first Revierderby in 1924/25 and dominated the fixture for the next 18 years. After a long wait, Dortmund finally won their first game against Schalke. A 3-2 win over Schalke in the 1946/47 Westfalenliga final is seen as the turning point in the fight for local dominance as Dortmund became the dominant power in the top division of western Germany. The tables began to turn after this point.

Both teams were founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and both secured home wins in the first season. After the first season, Dortmund emerged as a dominant force in German football and won most of the derbies. But Schalke came back and enjoyed 12 meetings against die Schwarzgelben without being defeated between 1968 and 1977.

It was in 1997 that both sides celebrated European glory. Schalke beat Milan to bring home the UEFA Cup and a week later, BVB beat Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final. Another miracle happened in the Revierderby when Jens Lehmann became the first goalkeeper to score from open play in the Bundesliga as he netted a late equalizer for Schalke on 19 December 1997. But Schalke’s hero later joined Dortmund where he won his maiden Bundesliga title.

Dortmund have won one more league title than Schalke who have 7. BVB overtook Schalke only when Jürgen Klopp arrived and won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Schalke last won the league in 1958, which means they are yet to win the Bundesliga. Schalke were close to winning it in 2006/07 but Dortmund ruined their hopes after beating them in the second-last game of the season. The Revierderby has also been a high-scoring game in recent years. But the latest fixture ended in a goalless draw on Matchday 9 of the 2019-20 season.

Borussia Dortmund have the upper hand when it comes to overall wins in the Revierderby, with 34 wins versus Schalke’s 32. 30 fixtures have ended in a draw. BVB are also ahead in terms of total goals scored (149-137). For fans of both teams, the Revierderby is the best fixture to kick-off the return of the Bundesliga. Every Revierderby fixture guarantees world-class football enjoyed by connoisseurs of the beautiful game across the globe.