The UEFA Youth League will begin in a shortened format in March. The competition will start with 64 teams in the first round and will be played in one-legged knockout ties all the way through to the final tournament in Nyon. Borussia Dortmund will be away to Juventus on 2 or 3 March.

While the Borussia Dortmund U19s have not been in action since 24 October, their Juventus counterparts kicked off the "Primavera" with a 4-0 home win over Sassuolo last weekend after a break of more than two months. "We can prepare well because Juve are already playing football," said BVB boss Mike Tullberg, adding: "It remains to be seen whether we're able to hold matches against opponents to prepare ourselves." Coach Andrea Bonatti's side currently sit in fourth place in Italy's "Section Primavera 1" after five rounds. The top goalscorer is the Italo-Brazilian Cosimo Marco Da Graca, who has four goals. The young Juventus squad consists of 11 Italians and 14 internationals.

Should Mike Tullberg's team get the better of Juventus, their campaign will continue on 6 or 7 April. However, the mood at BVB is one of caution. "In principle, they are a good opponent for us. If the match can take place, it's a good chance for our players to prove themselves against big opposition on the international stage," said Lars Ricken, the BVB youth coordinator, who continued: "This year, the conditions are obviously anything but ideal for us."