The U17s will travel to Gelsenkirchen for Sunday's derby (11:00 CET) as the unbeaten league leaders and with confidence sky-high. "We've continued our development and have grown as a team over the past few weeks," declared coach Sebastian Geppert, who has a full squad at his disposal but was keen to take the pressure off his side. "It's not the game of the year for us. Even in the derby, there are only three points up for grabs."

Meanwhile, it is set to be a defining week for the U19s, who will host Wuppertaler SV in their first home game of the second half-season on Saturday (11:00 CET) before facing Slavia Prague in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday (16:00 CET) and playing their game in hand against Alemannia Aachen the following Sunday (15 December, 13:00 CET).

"We've been warned," said coach Michael Skibbe prior to the meeting with Wuppertal, who have come on leaps and bounds since losing the reverse fixture 9-2. Goalkeeper Luca Unbehaun, who is suffering from an ankle problem, remains a minor doubt for the Black & Yellows.

Detailed reports on the youth websites