Dortmund, Schalke in ‘biggest’ derby

P ierre-Emerick Aubameyang has compared it to an orgasm, Marco Reus says losing it is forbidden, but Schalke’s Marco Hoeger simply believes today’s clash at Borussia Dortmund is Germany’s biggest derby.

With just 35 kilometres separating Dortmund from Gelsenkirchen-based Schalke, the Ruhr Valley derby at Borussia’s Westfalenstadion is perfectly poised with 30 wins for each side and 25 draws in their 85 previous meetings.

“In Germany, there is simply nothing bigger,” Schalke midfielder Hoeger told Bundesliga.de. “To experience the game as a player is a fantastic thing, which every German footballer wishes he can.”

Gabon winger Aubameyang, Dortmund’s top scorer, raised eyebrows earlier this week by saying: “Derby wins — even if it sounds strange — are almost like an orgasm”.

Dortmund-born Reus said losing is not an option at their 80,000-capacity Westfalenstadion ground as Borussia look to avenge September’s 2-1 defeat in Gelsenkirchen.

“When you see the blue and white shirts, you know it’s going to be a red-hot battle until you drop. Losing is forbidden,” said Reus, who this month extended his Borussia contract until 2019.

Huntelaar returns

Schalke hope to include Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after the Dutch striker returned to training on Monday having bruised his shin in last week’s 2-0 Champions League defeat against Real Madrid.

Dortmund will definitely be without defender Lukasz Piszczek for the next six weeks after the left-back tore ankle ligaments in Borussia’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Juventus on Tuesday.

Greece centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos faces a race against time with a groin injury, but both defender Neven Subotic and winger Kevin Kampl are set to return after recovering from an upset stomach.

The Dortmund stadium had to be briefly evacuated on Thursday after a 250kg Second World War bomb was found during work on the VIP area.