The Black & Yellow U23s are next in action at 15:00 CET on Saturday afternoon, when they take on seventh-placed RW Essen at Stadion Essen. There is little to separate the sides going into this one, with both teams on 42 points and BVB only above their hosts in the table on account of their superior goal difference.

BVB will have fond memories of the reverse fixture at the Rote Erde Stadion, where they claimed a deserved 5-0 (3-0) win over RWE courtesy of an extremely strong first-half performance and a dominant first 15 minutes in the second period. But the margin of victory cannot be entirely attributed to the presence of Shinji Kagawa and Alexander Isak. Julian Schwermann delivered an outstanding display at the heart of midfield on his return from injury and played a key role in ensuring none of Essen's forays forward came to fruition. The 19-year-old was rewarded for his performance with a goal, scored thanks to an excellent effort from the edge of the box that put the hosts 4-0 up.

Saturday's encounter is very much expected to be a meeting of equals, as both teams battle to keep up with the leading pack. RW Essen lost 2-0 in Aachen last time out, while BVB claimed a 3-0 victory over TV Herkenrath. Dortmund are in a more comfortable position, however, given that they have two games in hand still to play. The match will be overseen by referee Julian Engelmann. The gates at Stadion Essen will open at 13:30 CET. BVB fans travelling to Essen to support their team will be placed in the Stadtwerke-Essen stand. In addition, Rot-Weiss Essen would like to point out that it is not permitted to bring rucksacks and bags larger than A4 size into the stadium.