The Borussia U19s have laid down a marker in the UEFA Youth League by defeating Inter Milan 2-1. Coach Michael Skibbe's charges were thereby able to keep themselves in the hunt for a place in the last 16 of the tournament. The other match in the group brought a shock result, with Slavia Prague triumphing 3-2 away to Barcelona.

Despite their defeat, Inter nonetheless remain atop the group table with nine points, three ahead of both Prague and BVB with six. Barca are bottom with just three points. The Black & Yellows are next in UEFA Youth League action in two weeks time, when they travel to Barcelona. The group looks likely to go right down to the wire, with BVB hosting Slavia on the last matchday on December 10. 

Although BVB were missing the stand-out trio of Ramzi Ferjani, Immanuel Pherai and Giovanni Reyna, this didn't prevent them from putting in their best performance of the season thus far against the guests from Italy. The Black & Yellows put in a solid first-half performance, coming close to opening the scoring on several occasions. 

It took 49 minutes for Borussia to make the breakthrough: substitute Reda Khadra sent a corner into the six-yard box, where Ansgar Knauff was on hand to force the ball over the line with his chest. However, it didn't take long for Inter to find an equaliser. The goal came from a stroke of misfortune on the part of Albin Thaqi, who slipped on the turf and in doing so granted Inter striker Vergani an open path to goal. 

Michael Skibbe's young side didn't let their heads drop and soon struck back with aplomb: Khadra found space on the left wing to fire a cross into the box, which Knauff met at full stretch to find the back of the net and make it 2-1 to the Black & Yellows. Inter pressed hard for an equaliser, but their efforts would prove in vain. Luca Unbehaun distinguished himself in these closing stages with some heroic defensive interventions. 

BVB: Unbehaun – Terzi, Thaqi, Knoop, Göckan – Schlüsselburg, Raschl – Knauff (90. Rauch), Bakir (82. Hetemi), Aydinel (4. Khadra) – Moukoko (90. Böhmer).

(wiwi)