Borussia Dortmund legend Paul Lambert backs Marco Reus and Co. for Schalke derby, despite ‘unlucky’ Chelsea defeat

Aiming to bounce back to winning ways, Borussia Dortmund face Schalke in the Bundesliga's Revierderby on Saturday, at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen. Dortmund were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday, losing to Chelsea 2-0 in the second leg and 2-1 in the aggregate. The defeat also meant that Dortmund have now lost their last six away matches against English sides, in the Champions League, since defeating Arsenal 2-1 in October 2013.

Dortmund are currently second in the Bundesliga table, with 49 points from 23 games, and have also won their last five Bundesliga games. They are behind Bayern Munich, who are on top of the table with 50 points from 23 games. Meanwhile, Schalke are bottom of the standings with 19 points from 23 fixtures, and are fighting relegation.

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Speaking ahead of the fixture, former Dortmund midfielder Paul Lambert felt that the defeat vs Chelsea was due to poor luck, and that the side's morale hadn't been hit. "I think the Chelsea game. They were really unlucky. I think you've got to remember that the gulf with Chelsea and also the money they have, and Premier League, is an incredible amount of money. I think everybody saw what happened. I don't think Dortmund will derail. For the Schalke game, the guys and the manager will put it behind them. Hopefully they go to Schalke and get a result", he said.

"I don't think there will be any problems motivating the team. The fans will do that, the atmosphere will do that. And Dortmund fans are special, they will have a great game", he further added.

Lambert represented Dortmund during the 1996-97 season, and helped them win the UEFA Champions League title. The upcoming game will be the 100th Bundesliga meeting between Dortmund and Schalke, with the former registering 37 wins. Schalke have won 32 times and 30 games have ended as a draw. Dortmund have also won each of the last four Revierderbies, something they only previously managed between 1964 and 1967 (eight in a row). Schalke's last home Revierderby in February 2021, saw them crash to a 4-0 defeat, which is also their joint heaviest defeat at home to Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Watch the LIVE coverage of Bundesliga 2022-23 - FC Schalke vs Borussia Dortmund on Sony Sports Ten 2 channels on 11th March 2023 from 11:00 pm IST

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