The long wait is finally over as European Soccer returns in a small sample size this weekend with one of Germany’s biggest rivalries kicking off a return to Bundesliga action.
Borussia Dortmund and Schalke will go head-to-head at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday looking for wins in the latest Rivierderby. A pair of young American talents will be seeking strong performances in their returns to the pitch as Weston McKennie and Giovanni Reyna headline the clubs.
McKennie has made 20 league appearances for David Wagner’s side this season, scoring one goal and playing a major role in midfield. The 21-year-old has helped Schalke to a current sixth-place spot in the league table, which is the final European qualification spot in the division. However, several clubs are on Schalke’s tail so a win this weekend would do the team good going forward.
Reyna has made eight league appearances since joining Borussia Dortmund’s first team in January. Although being reduced to substitute appearances mainly, the 17-year-old has scored one goal and added one assist across all competitions. With several Dortmund players likely to miss the first game back, Reyna could see extended minutes on Saturday.
Elsewhere, John Brooks and Wolfsburg continue their quest for a top-six spot as they travel to Augsburg on Saturday. Alfredo Morales and Fortuna Dusseldorf need a win over last place Paderborn to move them one step closer to escaping the bottom three, while Julian Green and Greuther Furth face Bobby Wood and Hamburg in a top-five clash in the 2. Bundesliga.
Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s Americans Abroad action:
Germany
Bundesliga
Weston McKennie and Schalke face Giovanni Reyna and Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Tyler Adams and RB Leipzig face Freiburg on Saturday.
John Brooks and Wolfsburg face Augsburg on Saturday.
Alfredo Morales and Fortuna Dusseldorf face Paderborn on Saturday.
Josh Sargent and Werder Bremen face Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.
Fabian Johnson and Borussia Monchengladbach face Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Zack Steffen is OUT (Injury) for Fortuna Dusseldorf.
2. Bundesliga
Julian Green, Timothy Tillman and Greuther Furth face Bobby Wood and Hamburg on Sunday.
Sebastian Soto and Hannover face Dynamo Dresden on Sunday.
Just glad to have soccer back, tired of reruns. Everyone stay safe
FJ out injured, according to Gladbach’s twitter