The Borussia Dortmund women's footballers beat SSV Rhade, who play two divisions higher, by a 3-1 (1-0) scoreline in the final friendly of their winter preparations. Danelle Tan, Marie Grothe and Mia Macarena Bedarf scored in this tough test at Stadion Rote Erde.

The BVB women were in very good form five days before their Kreispokal quarter-final against fellow Landesliga outfit TV Brechten. "With the Brechten game in mind, we consciously chose a strong footballing and combative opponent for the end of the preparation period," said coach Thomas Sulewski of the friendly against SSV Rhade, who are 11th in the Regionalliga West.

The Borussia ladies made the better start but squandered two good opportunities to take the lead through Mandy Reinhardt at the outset (6 / 11). After around a quarter of an hour, BVB goalkeeper Katharina Jäger was called into action for the first time when she turned a placed low-shot from opponent Hanna Lange around the post (14).

The Black & Yellow opener came in the 18th minute: Kimberly Becker fed Danelle Tan just outside the area and she spectacularly curled the ball into the top right corner. It was the Landesliga team that had the better opportunities in a varied first half. Reinhardt spurned the best chance to increase the lead to 2-0 when she fired wide from an unmarked position in front of goal (42).

Substitute Marjana Naceva immediately hit the ground running in the second period. Only two minutes after the restart, she danced past an opponent down the flank and crossed into the middle towards Marie Grothe, who controlled the ball with her chest and then confidently slotted home to make it 2-0. Naceva then claimed the assist for the goal that made it 3-0 a matter of seconds later. She fed fellow substitute Mia Macarena Bedarf in the box, who fired into an empty net (48).

Directly after that two-goal salvo, the visitors from Westmünsterland grew more dangerous. But in her personal battle with SSV striker Lange, BVB goalkeeper Jäger twice came out on top (50/51). With a 3-0 lead in the bag, the Dortmund ladies dropped down a gear. That allowed the Regionalliga outfit to grab a consolation goal through Omina Youel (75), which made the final score 3-1. "We impressed against a Regionalliga team and were the better team for long spells. I'm absolutely satisfied with the match and the result," Sulewski said afterwards.

The BVB women will be in action at Stadion Rote Erde once again on Thursday (29/02). Kick-off in the Kreispokal quarter-final against TV Brechten is at 19:00 CET.

BVB women: Jäger – Tayeh (Geldschläger, 60), Jung, Haslsteiner, Geldschläger (Klemann, 46) – Gomulka (Herper, 66) – Greulich (Tan, 76), Becker (Kaul, 66), Grothe, Tan (Bedarf, 46) - Reinhardt (Naceva, 46)

Goals: 1-0 Tan (18), 2-0 Grothe (47), 3-0 Bedarf (48), 3-1 Youel (75)

(df)