After four training sessions together, Borussia Dortmund's first pre-season friendly ended in defeat thanks to three spectacular goals from RWE. Peter Bosz said: "BVB should always beat a fourth-tier club. That was poor from us." However, there are still 31 days to go before the first important fixture is played.

"The match showed us a few things that we still need to work on. But we still have a few weeks in which to do so," explained captain Marcel Schmelzer in an interview with BVBtotal! Peter Bosz's charges were lacking the necessary tempo, determination and concentration at the back in Essen, and the squad will look to improve in those areas in the coming weeks.

Thursday marks the start of the one-week Asia Tour that will take Borussia Dortmund to Japan and China. The Black & Yellows have accepted an invitation from the Japanese Football League to face Urawa Reds at the Saitama Stadium on 15 July as part of the J. League International Series. Three days later, on 18 July, they will be in the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, where they will take on Italian giants AC Milan. That match is part of the International Champions Cup, which Borussia Dortmund have been invited to take part in for a second successive year.

"The fact that both the J. League and the organisers of the ICC have chosen us for, and invited us to, their respective tournaments is an indicator of the high sporting regard in which BVB has been held across the globe in the course of recent years," declared BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke. (br)