Match Report
Strong U23 performance against Cologne goes unrewarded
Player Profiles
On Matchday 2, U23 coach Daniel Rios was once again without goalkeeper Silas Ostrzinski, Takato Yamamoto, and Ayman Azhil. The trio will remain with the Bundesliga team’s training squad until further notice. In their place, Arne Wessels made his first appearance of the season after returning from the trip to Japan with the first-team squad. Alongside the attacking player, Elias Benkara and Connor Krempicki also made the starting lineup. The Black and Yellows’ goal was once again guarded by 18-year-old Aaron Held. And the two youngsters, Luke Fahrenhorst and Fadi Zarqelain, earned Rios’s trust again following their strong performance in the 1-1 draw in Bochum.
Match Summary
The 5,336 spectators at Rote Erde Stadium—including 674 visiting fans—created a special atmosphere for the first home game of the new season. Against this backdrop, Dortmund played more attractively than FC in the opening stages. Luke Fahrenhorst, in particular, proved to be a key asset in central midfield, repeatedly trying to spark the offense as a target man and playmaker.
However, it was a Cologne player who created the first dangerous opportunity—albeit unintentionally. While building up play, FC goalkeeper Mikolai Marutzki played the ball straight to Tim Degener’s feet, but his touch was too sloppy (10). In the ensuing play, BVB showed tenacity in one-on-one duels, won the ball back frequently, and repeatedly made an impact on offense. Seven minutes after the first chance, a murmur rippled through the stadium following a nice pass from Bennedikt Wüstenhagen, as Malik Hodroj, who had pushed forward, surprised Cologne’s keeper with a shot from a tight angle. The ball, however, flew out of bounds. Another long-range attempt by Hodroj (31'), which was dangerously deflected, marked the third opportunity for the home team. This phase of the game made it clear that Rios’s team still lacked the necessary decisiveness and cutting edge in the final third.
Defensively, meanwhile, the Black and Yellows allowed hardly any dangerous shots on goal. It wasn’t until just before halftime that Aaron Held had to make his first save, following a free kick by Emin Kujovic from about 18 meters out in a central position (36').
After the break, BVB immediately took control again and pressed for the opening goal. First, Arne Wessels tried his luck with a long-range shot (46'), then Marutzki tipped a header from Elias Benkara over the crossbar with his fingertips. But then the moment finally arrived: BVB captain Jesper Verlaat headed a cross from the left flank down to Degener, who blasted the ball into the right corner with his left foot for a well-deserved 1-0 lead (59').
After conceding the goal, Cologne suddenly looked much more determined and created their first chances. Malek El Mala, the older brother of Cologne’s rising star Said El Mala, capitalized on one of them to tie the game at 1–1 (67'). Shortly afterward, Finn Fuchs could have put BVB back in the lead. The left back found himself alone in front of the FC goal after a neat one-two with Degener, but from a few meters out, he sent the ball just wide of the left post.
Cheered on by the BVB fans, who vociferously supported the team throughout the match, BVB mustered all their strength once more in the closing stages but failed to create any clear-cut chances. The score thus remained 1–1.
Post-match comments for players
Daniel Rios (U23 Head Coach): “I think the team gave it their all. Of course, it’s frustrating when you put in so much effort—both with and without the ball—and then only come away with one point. That doesn’t feel great. In the first half, there were periods when we were too erratic in the final third. We did better in that regard at times in the second half. We also won the second balls there, which is something we lacked a bit in the first half. But overall, it comes down to the details. Scoring goals is the hardest thing in soccer. But we’ll work on it, and I’m convinced that in the future, the lads will reward themselves with three points—not just one.”
Outlook
This coming Friday (14 August, live on LEAGUES), the U23s will face newly promoted Bergisch Gladbach on the road. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
U23: Held – Fuchs, Verlaat, Benkara (83’ Quiala), Hodroj – Fahrenhorst, Degener, Krempicki (76’ Boyamba) – Zarqelain, Wüstenhagen (69’ Ngambia), Wessels (69’ Mutove)
Goals: 1–0 Degener (59’), 1–1 El Mala (67.)
