Football is back to write about, so football needed to be written about. Not only is Borussia Dortmund against FC Schalke, the Revierderby, one of the prominent matches in world football, it was also the Bundesliga’s first fixture on the return from coronavirus.
With FC Barcelona connections, Jean-Clair Todibo started for Schalke, with Juan Miranda on the bench. Former La Masia player Mateu Morey had a spot on Dortmund’s bench. Culés are allowed to dream, so they could also enjoy wishing Haaland is one day in a Blaugrana shirt or Jadon Sancho, who started on the bench, finds his way to the Camp Nou.
It is interesting to see that Todibo was used as the right-sided centre-back in a back three, a position that Quique Setién has used in the past but is not the norm at Barcelona. The number of full-backs that Barça are considering in the summer adds to the skepticism that a back three would be a long-term consideration.
For much of the first half, Haaland was setting up between Todibo and Salif Sané, with Todibo usually tasked with following him into the midfield. He did an admirable job with tracking the mercurial teenager, and didn’t back down from physical battles with the Norwegian on set pieces. Haaland got the opening goal though on the rare occasion when he got between Todibo and Sané on the cross from Thorgan Hazard.
Todibo’s primary outlet pass was back to the keeper, especially after Dortmund got the opening goal and started to find their footing. Yet, that pass was never a dangerous look and it did seem to fit whatever instructions were given.
The knock that Todibo picked up later in the first half doomed his day, as did a formation change by Schalke manager David Wagner for the second half. He did finish the first 45 minutes, but was replaced at halftime by Guido Burgstaller to add some attacking punch. The Frenchman wasn’t on the field to use his speed and disrupt Dortmund’s counter three minutes into the second half for the third goal.
Whatever sound was pumped into the stadium did little to get people to believe that the atmosphere was anything better than a glorified friendly. Yet, the intensity of the fixture improved as the match went on, even when Dortmund took the 2-0 lead. The majority of the players looked fit for their return to action, though you could see some figures laboring as the match reached its conclusion. By the 75th minute the game was fully decided and the sprinting turned to trotting.
The formation change didn’t work for Schalke and without fans, the match ended feeling more and more like a training exercise for their rival. Raphaël Guerreiro was the star of the game, a brace in a 4-0 win, while Miranda came on in the 76th minute, slotting into the back four that Schalke utilized in the second half. He entered when the match was already done and dusted, and didn’t have much to do. It was helpful that five substitutes are now permitted, allowing for Miranda to get an opportunity he may not have normally received. Morey remained on the bench.
It would be surprising if Todibo doesn’t become the poster boy for hearing profane things between players without fans – he reportedly uttered some naughty words to Haaland prior to the latter’s goal.
