Dortmund (dpa) - Borussia Dortmund starts without Jadon Sancho in the Revierderby against FC Schalke 04. Contrary to expectations, the English international sits second from the Bundesliga table in the first game after the ten-week Corona mandatory break.
Sancho had already complained of muscle problems in the calf in preparation for the restart. BVB coach Lucien Favre has to do without the regulars Axel Witsel, Emre Can, Marco Reus and Dan-Axel Zagadou. The guests miss Omar Mascarell, Benjamin Stambouli and Ozan Kabak.
The restart of the Bundesliga is a special moment for Freiburg coach Christian Streich. "For me, it's one of the most enjoyable games I've had in the Bundesliga so far, even under strange circumstances," said the 54-year-old coach before the game at RB Leipzig to the Sky TV station. "As strange as it sounds, I'm really happy. Because I didn't know when we could play again and whether we could play again in the season," said Streich.
After arriving at the stadium, the SC coach had also exchanged views with the referees about the unusual situation with ghost games due to the corona pandemic. It was quickly agreed: "It is about going about our job. We are really looking forward to this game," said Streich.
However, Streich did not see that no fans in the stadium were allowed to support the hosts from Leipzig. "It's a bit strange, it will be," he said. "If you play away and the opposing fans are fully there, that will also push you as an away team," added Streich.