• Their -14 goal difference and average of 4.0 goals conceded per fixture are the worst opening four-game statistics Schalke have witnessed in any league season.
• However, for the first time since April 2003, both teams enter this world-renowned derby on the back of defeat in the previous round.
Image: /REUTERS
Dortmund Vs Schalke Saturday 7:30pm
The Revierderby has thrown up some classic results in recent years, with the last five held witnessing an aggregate 13-10 scoreline to Borussia Dortmund.
Visiting Schalke may find themselves limited in attack this time though, considering Dortmund have restricted their opposition on the day to a league-low 23 shots on goal this season.
Dortmund have started their Bundesliga home campaign with two commanding HT/FT wins that saw them clear a -2 handicap. Recent history hints at another win here considering Dortmund have won all three opening Bundesliga home games in four of the past five seasons.
Despite picking up their first point last weekend with a 1-1 scoreline, Schalke are still enduring the longest active Bundesliga winless run (a club-record 20 games), as well as the longest run without a clean sheet (16).
Their -14 goal difference and average of 4.0 goals conceded per fixture are the worst opening four-game statistics Schalke have witnessed in any league season.
It’ll come as little surprise then that the visitors have failed to win a Bundesliga road trip since November 2019, with eight of their nine defeats witnessing Schalke trail at HT and six seeing them lose by a 3+ goal margin, which includes a 4-0 thrashing in the last derby.
Head to Head
16.05.20 BUN Dortmund Schalke 4 : 0
26.10.19 BUN Schalke Dortmund 0 : 0
27.04.19 BUN Dortmund Schalke 2 : 4
08.12.18 BUN Schalke Dortmund 1 : 2
15.04.18 BUN Schalke Dortmund 2 : 0
Barcelona Vs Real Madrid Saturday 5pm
After opposing results in the Champions League midweek, Barcelona and Real Madrid now engage in the 245th competitive El Clásico, with the hosts looking to square the La Liga ledger to 73-73.
However, for the first time since April 2003, both teams enter this world-renowned derby on the back of defeat in the previous round.
Barcelona have recorded just one goal across their last two La Liga fixtures, the first time in a stretch of 12 games in which they have done so. This is just the third time since the start of 2019/20 that they have recorded two consecutive winless La Liga encounters. A sole victory from their last five La Liga home Clásico clashes, winning three and losing one - despite opening the scoring four times - also fails to inspire, particularly when Barcelona have scored just one second-half goal this campaign not counting own goals.
That stands in stark contrast with visiting Madrid, who enjoy an aggregate 4-0 scoreline across their five La Liga second halves this season. However, their shock defeat to Cádiz was the first time in four La Liga games in which they did not win the second half.
Furthermore, Real Madrid will be concerned to have fallen to consecutive defeats as a favourite, in all competitions, for the first time since the end of the 2018/19 season, even if both were by just a one-goal margin.
Head to Head
01.03.20 LL Real Madrid Barcelona 2 : 0
18.12.19 LL Barcelona Real Madrid 0 : 0
02.03.19 LL Real Madrid Barcelona 0 : 1
27.02.19 CDR Real Madrid Barcelona 0 : 3
06.02.19 CDR Barcelona Real Madrid 1 : 1
Aston Villa vs Leeds Friday 10pm
Aston Villa welcome Leeds United to Villa Park this weekend for the first Friday night game of the 2020-21 Premier League season, and the first top-flight showdown between the two clubs since February 2004.
Defensive stability has been key for Villa across those eight matches, having secured five wins ‘to nil’. Furthermore, they scored the first goal in all eight - as they have done in two of the last three H2Hs.
In fact just three of Villa’s last 11 PL matches have seen both teams score, and only three of their last 12 featured over 2.5 goals. Villa are the only remaining team in the league with a 100 per cent record, having made it four wins from four at Leicester City last time out, while Leeds have won two, drawn one and lost two on their return to the Premier League so far.
Leeds lost a tight match against Wolves last time out but enter this clash in tenth place after going unbeaten in 60% of their PL games so far (W2, D1, L2). They may have been absent from the top flight for 16 years, but considering they’ve kept as much or more possession as their opponents in all five matches ,57.2% average, you wouldn’t know it.
Head to Head
28.04.19 CHA Leeds Aston Villa 1 : 1
23.12.18 CHA Aston Villa Leeds 2 : 3
13.04.18 CHA Aston Villa Leeds 1 : 0
01.12.17 CHA Leeds Aston Villa 1 : 1
29.12.16 CHA Aston Villa Leeds 1 : 1