Fireworks will be expected when Schalke 04 hosts Borussia Dortmund in the 154th Revierderby this weekend.
The two arch-rivals will meet on match-day 9, both coming off mixed results in their last games.
The hosts lost 2-0 away to Hoffenheim on match-day 8, the same day Dortmund beat Monchengladbach 1-0.
Despite not winning any of their last two games, Schalke have looked a better side under David Wagner from one that spent most of last season in the bottom half.
Sitting 7th on the log, Wagner’s side have won half of their first 8 games whilst losing just twice.
They currently sit just two points off the top of the table and will go into the game knowing they can end up top of the pile if all results go their way this weekend.
For Dortmund, after drawing three games on the trot, they returned to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Gladbach last weekend.
This was their 4th victory of the season and sit just a point off the top of the standings.
Their form has been wobbly all season and Lucien Favre’s side must be desperate to make it two victories on the trot coming into Saturday’s encounter.
Both sides have seen their treatment rooms clear up with Dortmund welcoming back captain Marco Rues from a minor injury. Mario Gotze is a doubt for the game while Eric Oelschlagel is still out.
For Schalke, only USA midfielder Winston McKennie is an injury doubt so Wagner will have a near to full-strength squad to choose from.
The two teams always give us classic matches but none compares to the 4-4 draw in November 2017, one that saw Schalke come from 4 goals down to take a point from the contest.
Last season, this fixture produced two away victories with Dortmund winning the reverse fixture 2-1.
Defending champions Bayern Munich will be at home to Union Berlin on the same day, hoping to snap a 2-game winless run.
The Bavarians have been on a poor run of form as they lost 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim before surrendering a lead to draw 2-2 with Augsburg last time out.
However, they have been classic in the Champions League having won all their first three games including a 3-2 victory over Olympiakos on Tuesday night.
For Union Berlin, they are having a trying time in their debut top tier campaign.
The Iron Ones have won just two games all season, losing five already and the trip at Bayern should be an intimidating prospect for them.
Last weekend, they defeated Freiburg 2-0 and they will want to carry that momentum into Saturday’s game.
In their first three away games, they have picked just a single point. It came in the 1-1 draw away to Augsburg in August.
Going into the game, Bayern will be without Lucas Hernandez, Javi Martines, Niklas Sula, Jann Arp and Mickael Cuisance.
Union also have a few injury concerns as Neven Subotic, Suleiman Abdullahi, Sheraldo Becker and Akaki Gogia are all ruled out of the contest.
This will be the first top-flight meeting between the two sides. Their only previous meeting came in a friendly which Bayern won 3-1 in August 2009.
Table leaders Borussia Monchengladbach will take on face Frankfurt on Sunday with both side coming off Europa League matches on Thursday.
The other interesting affair will be between 6th placed Freiburg hosting 5th placed RB Leipzig on Saturday afternoon.
All Bundesliga match-day 9 fixtures
Friday, 25-10-2019
-Mainz 05 vs Koln @9:30pm
Saturday, 26-10-2019
-Bayern vs Union Berlin @4:30pm
-Hertha Berlin vs Hoffenheim @4:30pm
-Freiburg vs Leipzig @4:30pm
-Schalke vs Dortmund @4:30pm
-Paderborn vs Dusseldorf @4:30pm
-Leverkusen vs Bremen @7:30pm
Sunday, 27-10-2019
-Wolfsburg vs Augsburg @5:30
-Monchengladbach vs Frankfurt @8pm
