BERLIN: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has compared it to an orgasm, Marco Reus says losing it is forbidden, but Schalke's Marco Hoeger simply believes Saturday's clash at Borussia Dortmund is Germany's biggest derby.
With just 35 kilometres separating Dortmund from Gelsenkirchen-based Schalke, the Ruhr Valley derby at Borussia's Westfalenstadion is perfectly poised with 30 wins for each side and 25 draws in their 85 previous meetings.
"In Germany, there is simply nothing bigger," Schalke midfielder Hoeger told Bundesliga.de.
"To experience the game as a player is a fantastic thing, which every German footballer wishes he can."
Gabon winger Aubameyang, Dortmund's top scorer, raised eyebrows earlier this week by saying: "Derby wins - even if it sounds strange - are almost like an orgasm".
Dortmund-born Reus said losing is not an option at their 80,000-capacity Westfalenstadion ground as Borussia look to avenge September's 2-1 defeat in Gelsenkirchen.
"When you see the blue and white shirts, you know it's going to be a red-hot battle until you drop. Losing is forbidden," said Reus, who last week extended his Borussia contract until 2019.
Schalke hope to include Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after the Dutch striker returned to training on Monday having bruised his shin in last week's 2-0 Champions League defeat against Real Madrid.
Dortmund will definitely be without defender Lukasz Piszczek for the next six weeks after the left-back tore ankle ligaments in Borussia's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Juventus on Tuesday.
Greece centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos faces a race against time with a groin injury, but both defender Neven Subotic and winger Kevin Kampl are set to return after recovering from an upset stomach.
The Dortmund stadium had to be briefly evacuated on Thursday after a 250kg (551 lbs) WWII bomb was found during work on the VIP area.
There is a fascinating clash on Sunday as resurgent Bremen host second-placed Wolfsburg with Dutch striker Bas Dost in hot form having scored nine goals in his last four games in all compeitions.
Bremen followed up five straight wins with a 1-1 draw at Schalke last weekend which has taken them from the bottom of the relegation battle to the verge of a European place.
Wolves have won their last four games with Belgium winger Kevin de Bruyne forging a fruitful partnership with Dost, which has already produced 19 goals, and the Dutchman says they must not allow themselves to be caught.
"We are ten points clear of third place, which is outstanding, and we shouldn't give anything away. We have to make sure we finish second," Dost told website ran.de with Wolves eight points behind leader Bayern Munich.
Dost netted four goals alone in Wolves' recent 5-4 thrilling win at Bayer Leverkusen, while Bremen's ex-Chelsea forward Franco di Santo is also in form with four goals in as many games this year.
Leaders Bayern Munich host Cologne on Friday looking to build on their eight-point lead, but Pep Guardiola's Bavarian giants will be without centre-back Medhi Benatia, who has a leg injury.
"He's not fit," said Guardiola on Thursday with Thiago Alcantara, Philipp Lahm and Javi Matinez all edging closer to a playing return after long-term injuries.
Mid-table Cologne are winless in their last four games, "but every couple of years there is a miracle," their optmistic Austrian coach Peter Stoeger told local newspaper Express.
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