Anticipation is building for the top Second Division matchup between Schalke 04 and SC Paderborn—and not just within the camps of both clubs.

In the 2nd Bundesliga, all eyes are on Gelsenkirchen this Friday evening. FC Schalke 04 hosts SC Paderborn for the top match (6:30 p.m./Sky).

The top spot in the standings is at stake, which is currently held by the East Westphalians. The Royal Blues trail the leader by one point.

Anticipation is high—not only within both clubs but also beyond their ranks. For example, league rival 1. FC Kaiserslautern is adjusting its match-day preparations because of the Schalke game.

That’s because captain Marlon Ritter isn’t just a key player for FCK—he’s also a die-hard Schalke fan. And Ritter doesn’t want to miss the top Second Division match under any circumstances.

Because of the Schalke top match: 1. FC Kaiserslautern is heading to Braunschweig early

To ensure Ritter can be in front of the TV on time Friday evening, the Kaiserslautern team quickly changed their travel plans for their own away game against Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.). “It was very important to Marlon Ritter to leave early. Schalke is playing on Friday night, and he wants to watch that,” coach Torsten Lieberknecht explained to SWR.

“To make things work for Marlon,” the coach moved the final training session from 11 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., so that the Kaiserslautern delegation can set off for Braunschweig a little earlier. “We’ll watch it just as usual,” said Lieberknecht. The coach is likely to be watching very closely as well. After all, Schalke and Paderborn—two direct rivals—are facing off. FCK currently sits in sixth place in the standings, not far from the top of the table.

For Ritter, this is a special game in several respects. The Essen native spent several years at the “Knappenschmiede” as a youth player. But he also has ties to SC Paderborn. Between 2017 and 2020, Ritter made 65 appearances for the club and was part of its rise from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga.

He most recently made it clear that his heart beats for the Royal Blues on the second matchday of this season. In Kaiserslautern’s 1-0 victory over Schalke, the 31-year-old scored the winning goal. However, he was noticeably restrained in his celebration. “I’m still a ‘little bit of a Schalke fan,’” he revealed afterward. “I spent my entire youth there; I owe a lot to the club.”