FC Schalke 04 vs. Borussia Dortmund 3 key matchups to watch

LB Bastian Oczipka vs. RW Jadon Sancho

Bastian Oczipka had a woeful performance last week, as he was a liability defensively for Schalke and could not put in a worthy ball into the box for striker Guido Burgstaller or any of his other attacking teammates.

A solid left back and one of the better players at the position in the Bundesliga, Oczipka could be the biggest key to victory for Schalke when looking at the quality of the player he’ll be tasked with quieting.

Jadon Sancho has returned from a questionable suspension by manager Lucien Favre. Like last year, Sancho has been Dortmund’s best player in 2019-2020, tying Thorgan Hazard with a team-high five assists. Dortmund pretty much ride or die by how well Sancho plays, as he is one of the best in the world at carrying the ball into the final third.

Sancho’s intelligence and pace will cause problems for Oczipka, who will invariably be booked on Saturday, likely via a tactical foul to stop a Sancho-led counter. How early that booking occurs could make a huge difference in defending Sancho, who needs to be dealt with aggressively. The best way to defend Sancho is to force him into making poor passes and trying to do too much. If Sancho has space, he will carve a defense up; Schalke cannot allow his intelligence on the ball to take over, as the England international oozes class.