Schalke boss: We need no additional motivation for Ruhr derby

Schalke head coach Andre Breitenreiter has insisted his side need no additional motivation ahead of the Ruhr derby against Borussia Dortmund.

The 42-year-old lost his first derby 3-2 in the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park, and Schalke come into this game after a 3-0 humbling at Ingolstadt.

But Breitenreiter believes the enormity of this fixture, and the disappointment of their defeat last week, should inspire his players to deliver an improved performance on Sunday

“I am going to assume that everyone knows what [this game] is, because we do not need extra motivation,” he said.

“Everyone knows that we have delivered a s*** performance in Ingolstadt. This must be incentive enough.”

And the former Paderborn boss says that Schalke have responded well in similarly tough situations earlier in the season.

“Always in the moments in which we stood with our backs to the wall, we have won,” he said. “We have called on our potential.”

Schalke are seventh in the Bundesliga table, only one point outside the Champions League places, but they travel to leaders Bayern Munich next, before facing rivals Bayer Leverkusen.