Match Report
U19s celebrate 4-2 win away to Union Berlin
Going into half time, the hosts were still leading 2-1. But the Dortmund lads didn't give up, and turned the game around once Mike Tullberg had made some changes to the squad and tactics. Ousmane Diallo (2) and Alex Niziolek scored three goals between them in the final 15 minutes. The earlier equaliser was scored by Pharell Kegni.
Since the 0-2 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League, Mike Tullberg had had to make a few changes, and it wasn't only the young first team players Almugera Kabar, Kjell Wätjen and Cole Campbell who had to be replaced. Muss Kaba was also missing, having been released to play for the German U17s national team which is playing in the Algarve Cup in Portugal, while Tyler Meiser was also missing due to injury. Nick Cherny, Tim Degener, Pharell Kegni and Mathis Albert were new additions to the starting eleven, and the recently recovered Taycan Ectibasi and Diego Ngambia started on the bench. Ousmane Diallo, who was part of the U23s squad that beat Sandhausen 1-0 on Saturday, was up front from the start of the game alongside Kegni and Albert.
It was an intense, competitive and interesting game that unfolded on the artificial turf of the Union training centre. Just six minutes in, the hosts capitalised on a poor back pass by William Rashidi to go one goal up, scored by Musa Alkan. The Black&Yellows responded immediately, and equalised 60 seconds later thanks to Pharell Kegni. BVB tried to maintain control of the game against the "Iron men" who are yet to come away with a win, having previously lost 1-5 in Mainz and 0-2 to Leipzig at the start of the main round.
"We started the game well, applied pressure, but offensively we lacked the ability to follow through," said Mike Tullberg, who once again spoke critically about his team's defensive play: "We need to learn that we are also defined by our defence." Indeed, in the 20th minute, Union profited from another lapse as Duje Sliskovic confidently scored from a penalty that ultimately was given away by Robin Lisewski, making the score 2-1. Shortly before the half time whistle, the crossbar prevented BVB from falling even further behind following a shot by Musa Alkan.
Tullberg's praise for Ousmane Diallo's strong performance
At the beginning of the second half, Mike Tullberg responded with a small rotation. Anas Mahjoubi, Taycan Ectibasi, Diego Ngambia and Alex Niziolek joined the team. "After that we determined the course of the game and managed to get three goals," said Tullberg, pleased with the response his lads showed.
Ousmane Diallo, who knew how to put himself in better and better positions, got the equaliser in the 72nd minute. A short while later, Alex Niziolek was the quickest to respond, taking Dortmund into the lead after Union goalkeeper Tom Wisbereit saved a penalty. In the 82nd minute, Diallo brought the final score to 4-2 with his second goal. "Ousmane had only got to the hotel at 1:30 in the morning, and in the second half he was the decisive player. I want to see him that active and focussed all the time," said Mike Tullberg, praising his striker.
With six points, BVB are now second in the table for main round Group D behind Rasenballsport Leipzig (9 points after their 1-0 win against Unterhaching) and will be playing away to Mainz 05, currrently third in the table, on Saturday (4 points following their 1-1 result in Karlsruhe).
U19s: Lisewski – Rashidi, Benkara, Reggiani (Mahjoubi, 46), Feddersen – Degener – Cherny (Etcibasi, 61), Inacio (Adamczyk, 82) – Albert (Niziolek, 71), Kegni (Ngambia, 61), Diallo.
(wiwi)