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

By Kevin Parvizi

SINSHEIM, GERMANY - OCTOBER 20: Omar Mascarell of FC Schalke 04 gestures during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Schalke 04 at PreZero-Arena on October 20, 2019 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
SINSHEIM, GERMANY - OCTOBER 20: Omar Mascarell of FC Schalke 04 gestures during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Schalke 04 at PreZero-Arena on October 20, 2019 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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Spanish midfielder Omar Mascarell runs with the ball during the German First division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 in Leipzig, on September 28, 2019. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read RONNY HARTMANN/AFP/Getty Images)
Spanish midfielder Omar Mascarell runs with the ball during the German First division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 in Leipzig, on September 28, 2019. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo credit should read RONNY HARTMANN/AFP/Getty Images) /

DM Omar Mascarell vs. Everyone

Amine Harit is Schalke’s best player and the season’s biggest breakout star, so he’ll undoubtedly have a critical role to play on Saturday. But it’s important not to overlook the impact Omar Mascarell has made in 2019-2020 under David Wagner, as the former Eintracht Frankfurt man is playing up to his potential as one of the Bundesliga’s best pure defensive midfielders.

In the Revierderby, Mascarell could be even more vital to Schalke’s quest at three points than Harit, as he’ll have to cover all the gaps defensively against a Dortmund attack that is deep and talented. Mascarell will have to deal with wide men like Jadon Sancho and Thorgan Hazard, attacking midfielders like Marco Reus and Julian Brandt, and potentially even the inquisitive Mario Gotze as the “False 9”.

Mascarell will have his hands full, so it’s a good thing that he’s been a rock defensively. The Spain international is averaging a whopping 2.5 tackles per game and 2.9 interceptions per game, according to WhoScored.com, and those are numbers that elite defensive midfielders like Real Madrid’s Casemiro would be impressed by.

dark. Next. FC Schalke vs. Borussia Dortmund: 5 players to watch

Like Harit, Mascarell is making the case that he is a world-class midfielder, albeit in a completely different role. And with the whole world watching the passionate Revierderby, this is Mascarell’s chance to show the rest of Europe that he is among the best at his position. Unlike Harit, he’ll have to cope with reading the intentions of a handful of elite players, and while that’s a lot of pressure, the 26-year-old can really make a name for himself by being the difference-maker defensively and steely tone-setter offensively.

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