Borussia Dortmund must put their Champions League heartbreak behind them when they attempt to secure a club record ninth consecutive Bundesliga win in the 100th Revierderby against Schalke.
Edin Terzic's side crashed out of Europe's premier club competition in the round-of-16 when they were beaten 2-0 at Chelsea on Tuesday, having won the first leg 1-0.
That ended Dortmund's run of 10 consecutive victories and they felt hard done by, as referee Danny Makkelie allowed Kai Havertz to retake a decisive penalty due to encroachment and he made no mistake after missing his first attempt.
Dortmund must turn their attention back to the battle for the Bundesliga title and resuming their rivalry with relegation-threatened Schalke at the VELTINS-Arena on Saturday, when Marco Reus could make history.
Level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the table, Dortmund have the opportunity to take their frustration out on the Royal Blues.
Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta data for the big derby.
From Champions League misery to cloud nine?
Dortmund have been licking their wounds since the pain of being consigned to a Champions League exit at Stamford Bridge.
They have no time to feel sorry for themselves, with so much at stake as they strive to dethrone Bayern.
Dortmund could win a club record ninth top-flight game in a row this weekend, having matched their best run with a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig.
They have previously won eight in a row between 2011 and 2012, then again two years ago.
Reus can go out on his way
Dortmund stalwart Reus is one goal away from becoming the outright record scorer for the club after he was on target against Leipzig.
That strike was his 159th for the club in all competitions, drawing him level with Michael Zorc.
Reus has been struggling with a cold, so it remains to be seen if he gets the chance to go out on his own in the home of Dortmund's rivals.
The skipper has had a hand in at least one goal in each of his past three Bundesliga games, scoring twice and setting two up.
Derby delight a distant memory for Schalke
Schalke have not only lost their past four encounters with Dortmund, but also failed to score in five matches against their rivals.
The last time they found the back of the Dortmund net was in April 2019, when they celebrated a 4-2 away victory after Reus and Marius Wolf were sent off.
Youssoufa Moukoko scored the only goal of the game when they met in September and Dortmund ran riot when they last travelled to Schalke, Erling Haaland scoring twice in a 4-0 rout just over two years ago – their joint-highest win over the Royal Blues.
Dortmund have only previously won four consecutive games against Schalke when they went on to beat them eight times in a row between 1964 and 1967.
Schalke fighting for their lives
The Royal Blues are battling to avoid relegation after securing promotion back to the top flight last season.
They are making a fight of it under Thomas Reis, securing back-to-back wins over fellow strugglers Stuttgart and Bochum to haul themselves off the bottom of the table.
Schalke had reeled off four goalless draws on the spin before defeating Stuttgart and they are unbeaten in the first six games of the second half of Bundesliga season for the first time since 2006.
This will be a battle between the only unbeaten sides in the second half of the season.
Rodgers pleased with Engles debut as Celtic continue perfect start
Brendan Rodgers was encouraged by Arne Engels' debut after he scored from the penalty spot to continue Celtic's perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with a 2-0 victory over Hearts.
After dominating the opening exchanges, the hosts were offered the chance to take the lead from 12 yards early in the second half.
Nicolas Kuhn's cross was blocked by the hand of James Penrice, with Engels making no mistake from the spot to net his first Celtic goal since his switch from Augsburg.
Luke McCowan confirmed the triumph in the 89th minute, also scoring his first goal for the club, with Rodgers pleased with the pair, but showering particular praise on Engels.
"He's here playing in the eight position," Rodgers said. "He's here with legs and energy and power, he should be able to score goals for us. A good performance from him."
But the encounter could have taken on a much different complexion after the visitors were awarded a penalty of their own in the first half.
Lawrence Shankland's header came off Liam Scales' arm, only for VAR to overturn the decision, and Rodgers believed the right call was eventually made.
"When the referee gives it, it’s always going to be looked at," Rodgers said.
"The ball hits Liam Scales up towards the shoulder on that sleeve part and that’s not a penalty. By the rule, the officials were correct."
Rodgers' side are top of the table with 15 points, ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference, and return to Champions League action on Wednesday when they welcome Slovan Bratislava to Celtic Park in their opening match of the competition.
Ten Hag hails 'ketchup bottle' Rashford after ending goal drought
Erik ten Hag saluted "ketchup bottle" Marcus Rashford after the Manchester United forward ended his goal drought in their victory at Southampton.
Rashford doubled United's lead at St Mary's when he curled a 20-yard effort past Aaron Ramsdale, while Matthijs de Ligt and Alejandro Garnacho were also on target for the visitors.
It was the 26-year-old's 132nd goal for the club, but first since he found the net in the Red Devils' FA Cup victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Rashford was the subject of criticism for his performance in United's 3-0 defeat against the Reds prior to the international break.
However, Ten Hag felt that "negativity" was unjustified and is backing his forward to build momentum, referencing an analogy once utilised by Cristiano Ronaldo.
"It's very important we don't pay attention to what the outside world is saying, but there was too much negativity about him," the Dutchman said of Rashford.
"He created two great chances in that game [the defeat to Liverpool]. In other games this season, he has played very well.
"He deserved that goal [against Southampton], but he had to work for it. That is what he is doing, and then you get a reward.
"Once, a striker was talking about a ketchup bottle; once it's going, it’s coming more."
"He has already scored so many goals for Manchester United. At his age, the number of goals is amazing, and I'm sure he will score many more goals."
Tivoli Gardens young prospect Delano Daley among three killed in fiery crash
Tivoli Gardens Football Club has been plunged into mourning as one of their young talents, Delano Daley, died in a car accident on Saturday morning.
The tragic loss of Daley, who was signed from Waterhouse Football Club, comes on the eve of the 2024/25 Wray and Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season, which is scheduled to kick off on Sunday.
Daley’s sister and another relative also perished the incident, which reportedly occurred at the intersection of Eastwood Park Road and Burlington Avenue in the vicinity of the Half-Way Tree Primary School.
Though the identities of the individuals were not initially ascertained, the West Kingston club revealed that Daley and the others were the occupants of the vehicle, which caught fire.
“Our new addition, Delano Daley, was taken from us too soon in a car accident this morning. Our Tivoli Gardens family is heartbroken and mourns the loss of this bright and promising star. His sister and cousin also passed in the tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. May Delano’s memory live on in our hearts,” the club said in a social media post.
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