An evening of debuts and a welcome return: Dong-Won Ji and Ciro Immobile made their first appearances in the ‘Black n Yellow’ in BVB’s 1-1 (0-1) draw at VfL Osnabrueck.  In addition Neven Subotic was part of the starting eleven having come though his fifteen minute appearance on Saturday at Heidenheim unscathed.

 

 

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Dong-Won Ji on debut

Boris Rupert reports from Osnabrueck

 

With the Bundesliga season due to start in four and a half weeks BVB played their third pre-season friendly still missing the services of their six World Cup performers.Reus today began his ‘rehab’, whilst Langerak started his season today. Meanwhile Blaszczykowski, Sahin, Gündogan and Sarr were unavailable. Making their debuts today were Ji and Immobile.

Ji started the game and took up a position in a central advanced midfield position often linking up with Hofmann down the right. He did have one great moment when, having spotted the home ‘keeper off his line, he almost opened the scoring from a long way out. Lehmann was able to thwart BVB on this occasion as he had done, albeit with difficulty after Hofmann intercepted his clearance and sliced narrowly wide.

On the half-hour, referee Aarnik spotted a bit of holding by Ji in the box and pointed to the spot. Feldhahn duly converted for the third division side whose campaign proper starts this coming weekend.

BVB quickly reacted to this setback and an attack lauched by Aubameyang saw his cross find Ji in the box; chesting the ball down Ji let loose a drive beyond the home custodian only for Odenthal to clear from the line.

BVB emerged for the second half in a new-look 4-1-4-1 formation and with a new set of players to match! Immobile soon went close to opening his account and then Mkhitaryan produced another one of his wonder goals. In almost identical fashion to the goal in Heidenheim, he slipped past four or five opponents before passing the ball into the net from 15 yards out to make it 1-1 on 65 minutes.

The 13,000 present saw a game in which BVB dominated pretty much throughout, but with the exception of Mkhitaryan who equalised on 65 minutes, the team lacked pace which was so understandable following their Alpine training regime. The same man almost won the game with just three minutes to go when he played in Immobile only for Fernandes in the home goal to save well from a distance of six meters out.

BVB 1st Half: Bonmann – Piszczek, Subotic, Stankovic, Schmelzer – Kirch, Bender – Hofmann, Ji, Gyau – Aubameyang
BVB 2nd Half: Alomerovic – Narey, Hornschuh, Zimmermann, Bandowski – Kehl – Jordanov, Jojic, Mkhitaryan, Harder - Immobile
Goals: 1:0 Feldhahn (34., penalty), 1:1 Mkhitaryan (65.)
Attendance: 13.000