Borussia Dortmund’s starting XI for their Bundesliga clash with Schalke this afternoon suggests they really want to beat Liverpool in midweek.
Thomas Tuchel has rested a number of his best players for the trip to Gelsenkirchen despite well in the hunt for the league title as they sit eight points off leaders Bayern Munich with a game in hand.
Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final probably wasn’t what the German side expected considering their form in Europe this season.
And they now know they need to go to Anfield this coming Thursday and score goals if they’re to have any chance of making the semi-final of the competition.
Tuchel’s decision to rest Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marco Reus, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Łukasz Piszczek and Gonzalo Castro suggests he’s prioritised the match with Liverpool over today’s challenge at Schalke:
BVB: Bürki, Bender, Leitner, Hummels, Sahin, Ramos, Pulisic, Kagawa, Sokratis, Ginter, Durm #s04bvb pic.twitter.com/l8JO13wVZg
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 10, 2016
Here are the substitutes with all of the above included as well as Ilkay Gundogan:
Unsere Bank: // Our subs: Weidenfeller, Gündogan, Mkhitaryan, Reus, Aubameyang, Piszczek, Castro #s04bvb pic.twitter.com/V5eos9k53l
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 10, 2016
Liverpool are also in action today, taking on Stoke at Anfield in the later English Premier League games.
And it remains to be seen whether or not Jurgen Klopp will decide to rest some of his star men with one eye on Thursday’s second leg.
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