Pre-Match Report
U19s to host Leverkusen for DFB-Pokal top match
The BVB youth department's trophy cabinet is full to the brim, but an U19 team have never previously managed to bring the DFB-Pokal, which has been held since 1987, to Dortmund. The Black & Yellows have been very close on two occasions: they lost 6-5 on penalties to an SC Freiburg side trained by Christian Streich in the 2009 final and suffered a 3-1 defeat to VfB Stuttgart in 2022. Now head coach Mike Tullberg and his young team are making the next attempt.
The clash with Leverkusen will be something of a repeat edition of the last final of the German B-Junior Championship, in which BVB came out on top by a 3-2 scoreline after extra-time in a dramatic match in Oberhausen. Elias Benkara, Mussa Kaba, Taycan Etcibasi, Thierry Fidjeu-Tazemeta , Diego Ngambia and Ousmane Diallo, who were all in Borussia's title-winning team, are expected to be in the starting line-up on Saturday. As is Jonas Feddersen if he has successfully recovered from his thigh injury.
Leverkusen boss Sergi Runge is building upon the core of the team that won the West German title in the B-Junior Bundesliga without losing a game and narrowly succumbed to defeat to BVB in the Final of the German Championship last season. Six Bayer youngsters (goalkeeper Jesper Schlich plus outfield players Ken Izekor, Francesco Buono, Francis Onyeka, Naba Mansah and Montrell Clubreath) are part of the current Germany U18 national team squad. As are Borussia players Tyler Meiser, Elias Benkara, Nick Cherny, Taycan Ectibasi, Jonas Feddersen and Diego Ngambia.
Tullberg expecting a meeting of equals
"In contrast to us, Bayer still have several older age group players in the team. Nonetheless, I'm expecting a meeting of equals," explained Mike Tullberg, who is also without all his experienced key performers for this game. "It is right and important for their development that Almugera Kabar, Cole Campbell or Kjell Wätjen now play in the U23s. They belong there, because they'll be challenged at a higher level in the 3. Liga."
In Group C of the new DFB-Nachwuchsliga, BVB's young talents have only had to push themselves to their limits in their 3-1 victory away to Schalke. In their clash with Leverkusen, they will be challenged to step up to the next level of development. The visitors lost their opening game in Group F of the DFB-Nachwuchsliga 4-3 to SV Wehen Wiesbaden but have gone on to record four wins and are second in the table behind Borussia Mönchengladbach.
"We're looking forward to this match and are approaching it with optimism. We want the boys to prove themselves," said Mike Tullberg. He is not specifying any long-term goals for the cup competition, but primarily focusing on development: "We have to adapt the results expectation with this highly talented but very young team. But we will make the best of it."
And perhaps Borussia Dortmund, as the underdog, will make a mark on this competition after all.
(wiwi)