The Borussia Dortmund U23s and 1. FC Saarbrücken played out a 0-0 draw in front of 1,079 fans in the Rote Erde Stadium. BVB were by far the better of the two sides, but were unable to get the ball in the back of the net. 

Before the match: ''When you come into a new league and pick up seven points from your first three games, that's incredible. We're very happy and will continue to do what we've been doing,'' said BVB captain Franz Pfanne before the match. 

The opposition: Coach Uwe Koschinat's side started the league season with two wins and one defeat, meaning they sat fifth in the table prior to kick-off

Personnel matters: Four players - Steffen Tigges, Antonios Papadopoulos, Niklas Dams and Ansgar Knauff - stepped into the starting line-up, with Berkan Taz, Timo Bornemann, Ole Pohlmann and Kolbeinn Finnsson moving to the bench.

BVB started the game full of attacking intent. Richmond Tachie had the first shot of the game in the first minute. Not long afterwards, Steffen Tigges struck the post after being played through one-on-one with away goalkeeper Daniel Batz. The Black & Yellows maintained a tight grip on proceedings as the game progressed. Both Tobias Raschl and Richmond Tachie had several shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes. 

Saarbrücken only ventured out of their own half on a few occasions and were sluggish in possession. The biggest chance of the match thus far fell to BVB's Steffen Tigges in the 22nd minute, but his effort from a tight angle soared over the crossbar. It was a one-sided affair, but despite their dominance, the Black 7 Yellows were unable to find the all-important final ball. It wasn't until five minutes before half-time that Saarbrücken had their first chance of any real note, but Luca Kerber was unable to get the better of Luca Unbehaun in the Dortmund goal. As it was, the two sides went in at the break level at 0-0, with BVB having had far more chances.

Dortmund's attacking superiority continued in the second half. Marco Pasalic saw an effort on goal deflected away by the outstretched leg of a Saarbrücken defender in the 48th minute. One minute later, Immanuel Pherai was denied by goalkeeper Batz. The tackles started to fly in with more intensity. Lots of minor fouls interrupted the flow of play, which suited the visitors more than it did the Black & Yellows. 

With 25 minutes left on the clock, Richmond Tachie and Steffen Tigges both tried their luck from distance. Enrico Maaßen brought on fresh legs for the closing phases. Saarbrücken were firmly in survival mode and offered next to nothing from a footballing perspective. BVB pushed hard for a winner, but try as they might they couldn't force the ball into the back of the net. 

In the final minutes, Saarbrücken defended with 11 men behind the ball while the Black & Yellows did everything they could to snatch all three points late on. After three minutes of time added on, the final whistle blew to signal a goalless draw. 

BVB U23s: Unbehaun – Maloney, Pasalic (68, Taz), Tachie (68, Pohlmann), Tigges, Papadopoulos, Pfanne, Pherai, Dams, Knauff, Raschl

Goals: n/a

What's next: The U23s are next in action on Wednesday, when they travel to play VfL Osnabrück (19:00 CET).