The Borussia Dortmund U23s face promotion favourites Viktoria Köln in their first home game of the new season on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 14:00 CET). Their Matchday 2 meeting will be a real top-of-the-table clash with both sides in joint-third. Our U23s kicked off their campaign with a win, scoring two late goals to secure a come-from-behind victory.

The relief was etched on BVB coach Jan Siewert's face after the final whistle in Bonn. He embraced each of his players in turn and congratulated them for their incredible display in the closing stages, before the celebrations made their way over to the fans. Julian Schwermann and Jano Baxmann, both U19 players last season, struck to secure the last-minute win in the Rhineland. Now attentions have turned to the next match on Saturday, when Siewert's charges will welcome last season's Regionalliga West runners-up Viktoria Köln, who also won 2-1 on the opening day.

The men from the Rhineland are already being touted by many pundits as the strongest candidates for promotion, especially as this season's winner does not go into the play-offs but will go up automatically instead. Patrick Glöckner has put together a new-look side after narrowly missing out on promotion last term, with the likes of Stefano Maier and striker Nicolas Hebisch having joined the club from Kickers Offenbach and Waldhof Mannheim respectively. However, prodigious centre-back Dominik Lanius left Viktoria to join third-tier Preußen Münster.

However, their victory at home to Alemannia Aachen was overshadowed by an injury to captain and midfield strategist Mike Wunderlich, who sustained a broken ankle and will now be out of action for several months. BVB wishes him all the best for his recovery and hopes he gets well soon.

The BVB U23s' first home game will take place at the Rote Erde Stadium on Saturday. Kick-off is at 14:00 CET, with the gates opening from 12:30 CET. Tickets on the day of the match are available exclusively and in sufficient quantity from the box offices at the Rote Erde Stadium.
Timo Lammert

The ticket prices: 
Seated: €10, discount price for school pupils and youths up to an including 17 years of age €6 
Standing: €6, discount price for school pupils and youths up to an including 17 years of age €4