Bundesliga’s rising stars collide in Ruhr derby
Editorial
31. mars 2017Borussia Dortmund’s teenage stars Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic will be in the spotlight in Saturday’s 150th Ruhr Valley at bitter Bundesliga rivals Schalke 04 in Germany’s top derby.
Artikkelen fortsetter under annonsen
Both Dortmund and Schalke will be heavily stacked with the German league’s top young talent at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins Arena.
«In the category of 18-22 year olds, we are at the front in Europe,» boasted Borussia’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Under coach Thomas Tuchel, Dortmund are nurturing the likes of Germany’s 21-year-old defensive midfielder Julian Weigl.
Teenager forwards Dembele, 19, and Pulisic, still just 18, have attracted interest from Europe’s top clubs.
«Age doesn’t play a role as far as our trainer is concerned,» said Dembele.
«It comes down to ambition, commitment and a fighting spirit,» is how Schalke’s captain, World Cup winner Benedikt Hoewedes, sums up the clash.
Such is his desire to help Schalke that Hoewedes, 29, has delayed surgery on a groin injury until June.
Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the league’s top scorer with 23 goals this season, loves scoring in the derby and has netted in four of the five games he has started against Schalke.
