Pre-Match Report
Thrilling Showdown for the U23s in Oberhausen
Youth Matches at a Glance
U23: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen – BVB (Regionalliga West): 7 November, 2026, 2:00 p.m. (Stadion Niederrhein, Lindnerstraße 3-6, Oberhausen)
U19: BVB – VfL Osnabrück (DFB Youth League): 7 November, 2026, 1:00 p.m. (Youth Training Center)
U17: No game
U23s on the road against the league leaders
After 14 games without a loss, the U23s’ winning streak came to an end last Saturday. Head coach Daniel Rios, however, sees no reason to doubt the team’s performance. “We didn’t play a bad game against Gütersloh, but unfortunately we didn’t get the result we deserved. We want to build on that strong performance in our next big match,” says the coach. He points to the team’s higher possession percentage and greater number of scoring chances compared to the third-place team in the standings. “I’m very curious to see how the lads handle this situation. It’s about them showing character after a game like that.”
The next challenge could hardly be greater. Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, along with Sportfreunde Siegen, boasts the highest-scoring offense in the Regionalliga West and also has the best defense. No team is more successful at home than coach Sebastian Gunkel’s team, which has led the standings since Matchday 9. Their record so far this season underscores Oberhausen’s strength: After 15 matchdays, they’ve already accumulated seven more points than Fortuna Köln had at the same point last season. At that time, the Cologne team dominated the league and subsequently earned promotion to the 3. Liga.
Despite the impressive numbers, Rios is approaching the challenge with confidence. “Oberhausen is a team that generates a lot of momentum, especially at home. But we should look forward to the game against a really good opponent. We can show that we can also dominate and control the game on the road against an opponent like this.”
The head-to-head record also suggests a closely contested match. In 15 meetings so far, BVB has recorded five wins, five draws, and five losses. However, the two most recent matches last season both ended in 2-1 victories for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.
In terms of personnel, the second-place team has nearly a full roster to draw from. Only Mussa Kaba, who is out with a shoulder injury, remains unavailable. On a positive note, Pharell Kegni is making good progress; after a long forced absence, he made his season debut against Gütersloh and came on as a substitute in the 85th minute. “He’s making very good progress. You can tell that he’s been able to train consistently over the past three weeks. This gives us one more option on offense,” says Rios.
Tickets for the top-of-the-table clash are available at the RWO ticket shop.
U19s Enter Clash with Osnabrück as Favorites
The U19s have had an intense midweek schedule: Their 2-1 victory in the top-of-the-table clash of the DFB Youth League against MSV Duisburg was followed by a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the UEFA Youth League against Real Betis. Now, VfL Osnabrück awaits them. Against the second-to-last team in the standings, the Borussians aim to solidify their top position, which they extended last weekend.
Coach Felix Hirschnagl is confident that his team can successfully tackle this challenge as well. He believes his team is on the right track: “Over the last four or five weeks, we’ve made clear progress in terms of our play with and against the ball.”
BVB already won the first leg at the end of September. Thanks to goals from Justin Hoy and Bjarki Gardarsson, Borussia prevailed 2-0 in Osnabrück.
With another win, the U19s could take a big step toward the championship round. Qualification would then be all but certain with two matchdays remaining in the preliminary round. The top two teams from each group, as well as the six best third-place finishers, advance to the next round. BVB currently leads the table with 21 points, ahead of MSV Duisburg (17) and Fortuna Düsseldorf (12). However, both of their pursuers have played one fewer game so far.
U17s Head into International Break as League Leaders
The U17s have no match scheduled for this coming weekend. Following their spectacular 6-3 away win against the previous league leaders, FC Schalke 04, the Borussians have taken over the top spot and head into the international break as league leaders. Their next challenge comes on November 21 with a home game against Rot-Weiss Essen.
