The story of Borussia Dortmund 4-4 Schalke: The derby to end all derbies

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Borussia Dortmund and Schalke played out what might just be the greatest Revierderby of all time on Bundesliga Matchday 13.

Dortmund were 4-0 up inside 25 minutes, but conspired to throw away their sizeable advantage as Schalke served up a second-half comeback for the ages.

bundesliga.com recaps a barnstorming afternoon at the Signal Iduna Park…

Watch: Leon Goretzka reacts to Schalke’s incredible fightback

1) Pulisic and Aubameyang milestones

Without a win in five, Dortmund could not have wished for a better start. The returning Christian Pulisic - becoming the youngest non-German player in history to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances – crossed to Nuri Sahin, who guided the ball into the path of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to bundle in from close range. In doing so, the Gabon star moved level with former Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg striker Anthony Yeboah as the Bundesliga’s all-time leading African marksman on 96 goals. Schalke’s Revierderby nightmare had begun…

2)    Dortmund burst Schalke’s bubble

Oozing confidence and looking capable of scoring each time they ventured forward, BVB raced into a seemingly unassailable lead. Schalke midfielder-turned-sweeper Benjamin Stambouli put a Nuri Sahin free-kick through his own net just six minutes after Aubameyang had opened the scoring, Mario Götze headed in a third and Raphael Guerreiro lashed in a fourth. The 91st Revierderby was only 25 minutes old…

3)    Tedesco shows his hand

Schalke head coach Domenico Tedesco was shaken, but not stirred. The 34th-minute introduction of midfield duo Leon Goretzka – making his 100th Bundesliga appearance - and Amine Harit enabled the faltering Royal Blues to get a foothold in the game, while Tedesco’s decision to hook a Thilo Keher on the verge of Revierderby implosion in favour of Serbian defender Matija Nastasic at the start of the second half proved decisive. The Miners were about to dig themselves out of a very big hole…

Watch: Tedesco’s tactical masterclass

4)    BVB collapse

Four minutes sandwiched quick-fire goals from Guido Burgstaller and Harit as Schalke began to prey on the uncertainty that had plagued Dortmund’s miserly pre-Revierderby run of one win in nine matches in all competitions. The relentless pressure duly told when lone Dortmund striker Aubameyang collected his second yellow card for a rash challenge on the lively Harit, leaving BVB to play out the remaining 18 minutes with ten men. The grandstand finale was on…

5)    Schalke snatch draw from jaws of defeat

Daniel Caligiuri reduced the arrears in the 83rd minute, but not before an apparent injury to Harit had threatened to derail the Tedesco Express once and for all. The Morocco international left the field of play in visible pain after taking a bump from Gonzalo Castro, only to return to the fray minutes later and drive Schalke over the finish line. The equaliser came in the third of seven allotted minutes of added time, veteran defender Naldo - who had already seen a goal chalked off for offside with the score at 4-0 - powering in Yevhen Konoplyanka’s inch-perfect cross. There has never been a Revierderby like it and, although we should be cautious to say it, there probably never will be again.

Watch: A closer look at Schalke's historic comeback

Click here to recap the incredible match as it happened with our live blog!