Thomas Tuchel and his coaching staff used the international break to organise a friendly away to 1. FC Magdeburg. Tonight, a Borussia Dortmund side including a number of current U23 and U19 players drew 2-2 (2-1) away to the third-tier outfit at the MDCC Arena.

Though 14 Borussia Dortmund players - including Japan's Shinji Kagawa and Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - are currently dotted all over the world on international duty, those who remained at home took advantage of the international break to get some match practice. In addition to the injured Nuri Sahin (individual training programme) and Erik Durm (knee operation), Marcel Schmelzer (torn thigh muscle) and Moritz Leitner (illness) were also unable to join the squad on their trip to Saxony-Anhalt.

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A first eleven featuring a number of the club's current U23 and U19 players put in a solid performance against the third division's seventh-placed side without creating any chances of note in the opening stages. Then, with exactly half an hour on the clock, an all-too familiar tale unfolded as Nicolas Hebisch broke the deadlock for the hosts with their first chance of the match following a quick counter-attack. But a matter of minutes later Adrian Ramos found Jonas Hofmann, whose pass was tapped into the net by Mitsuru Maruoka to make it 1-1. Less than 60 seconds later, Borussia Dortmund's new Belgian signing Adnan Januzaj spectacularly fired the Black and Yellows into the lead (34) going into the half-time break.

At the interval, U23 goalkeeper Hendrik Bonmann replaced Weidenfeller and U19 defender Jacob Bruun Larsen replaced Knystock at left-back. But apart from a long-range effort by Adrian Ramos which was spilled by Magdeburg shot-stopper Cichos (57), the Black and Yellows rarely threatened their hosts early on in the second half. On the 72-minute mark, Magdeburg equalised through Beck completely against the run of play, meaning the 19,679 onlooking spectators saw the match end in a 2-2 stalemate.

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller (Bonmann, 46) - Fritsch, Subotic, Zimmermann (Schumacher, 68), Knystock (Larsen, 46) - Bender, Castro, Januzaj (Flores, 80) – Hofmann (Sauerland, 80), Ramos, Maruoka (Serra, 62)
Goals: 1-0 Hebisch (30), 1-1 Maruoka (33), 1-2 Januzaj (34), 2-2 Beck (72).
Attendance: 19,679
Peter Flore