Schalke 04 vs Dortmund: 5 things learned in slaughterhouse Revierderby

Schalke got battered in the Revierderby in front of an empty stadium, and while it certainly sucks, here are five things we learned in the process.

Well, let’s not lose how thrilling it is to have the Bundesliga back, but there’s no hiding how incredibly disappointing that Revierderby was. The worst of it was Schalke‘s complete lack of fight and their inability to muster anything even remotely resembling cohesion.

An initial 10-minute burst of optimism was quickly smothered, put out, and turned into an overwhelmingly negative result that feels like a direct continuation of where we left off—more getting slaughtered, different opponents.

The comeback never came because the fight in this club just feels like it’s been siphoned out long ago. What chances the Royal Blues did have were tame and relatively unthreatening.

5 things we learned in Schalke’s slaughterhouse

When the final whistle went, the collective sighs of blue-clad fans could be felt, but we have to look onward and upward. So, while we’re doing that, here are five things we learned about this club and the rest of the season from the Revierderby. I promise to stay as positive as I can.

5. Miss the yellow wall?

Weston McKennie said before the match that to a certain extend, having opposing fans to rile you up inspires a good deal of fight. Nowhere can you see that better than in the November 25, 2017, Revierderby where the Royal Blues fought back 4-0 in front of a bewildered yellow wall.

The empty stadium was definitely a unique viewing experience, but you have to wonder if the complete lack of an atmosphere—almost like playing in a cave—left Schalke completely hopeless of finding any kind of motivation.

I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, more just an exploration of how this can go so incredibly wrong so quickly. If this is how Schalke plays in the dead silence, then this season is going to be a chore and a half.

Let’s get on to No. 4 for a positive takeaway!