While the majority of professional football is currently paused for the international break, Borussia Dortmund's U23s are preparing for an important clash in the Regionalliga West on Saturday lunchtime (14:00 CET). The visitors to the Stadion Rote Erde will be promoted outfit Wegberg-Beeck, who do not have fond memories of Dortmund.

Coach Enrico Maaßen's charges will go into the game relaxed and with their batteries recharged, the fixture-free weekend having allowed them to recover and prepare optimally for the game on Saturday. BVB boast a strong record of 14 points from their opening six matches, which currently leaves them third in the table behind RW Essen and the Borussia Mönchengladbach second team. Directly below them are Fortuna Cologne, Düsseldorf II und Preußen Münster. It's a tightly packed table in a league in which "BVB want to compete at the top," as central defender Niklas Dams put it.  

The visitors, who are based near the Dutch border, have picked up only four points this season. Coach Michael Burlet's side have one win, one draw and three defeats from their five games, and have scored only two goals. The stats from their recent clashes bode well for Borussia too: the Black & Yellows have never lost to Wegberg-Beeck and have outscored their opponents significantly across their previous meetings (12-2).

For BVB members who fancy coming to the game at short notice, there are still tickets available for purchase from the Ticket Shop. The lads will be delighted to have your support.
Timo Lammert