It was quite simply the rivalry of last season. For weeks, Borussia Dortmund's U23s battled with Viktoria Köln for top spot in the Regionalliga West and a place in the promotion play-offs.

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In the end it was Marco Antwerpen's men who prevailed and finished top of the pile, although their promotion bid was halted in its tracks by Carl Zeiss Jena, ensuring that the duo would remain in the same division this season. One thing's for certain: it's going to be a meeting of equals. Both teams go into this Sunday's (15:00 CET) clash at the Sportpark Höhenberg level on points near the top of the table.

With 13 points and a marginally better goal difference, the men from the Rhineland currently occupy second spot, narrowly ahead of BVB in third. That said, the Black & Yellows have played two games fewer than their rivals towards the top of the table, with matches away to Verl and Wegberg-Beeck yet to be played. Viktoria currently have the best attack in the league, having scored 16 goals. Mike Wunderlich is looking particularly dangerous in front of goal this season, netting four times. But our U23s will go into the game on the back of a super run, having followed up their draw with Essen on Matchday 1 with four wins on the bounce, beating SV Rödinghausen 3-2 in their last outing. So while Sunday afternoon's game will be a tough task for Jan Siewert's men, it is by no means impossible given their current form. 

Timo Lammert