The Borussia Dortmund U23s initially came from behind to lead their game away to SV Sandhausen, but the hosts hit back and the Black & Yellows were condemned to a 3-2 defeat in stoppage time of this 3. Liga match.

The scenario: Sandhausen, one of the big promotion favourites before the season, had 49 points prior to the matchday and were six points adrift of the promotion play-off place. BVB had 45 points on the board, more than any other BVB team at this stage of a 3. Liga season. BVB were looking to pick points up again after four defeats in a row. The home team had managed to win only two of their previous five games.

Personnel matters: Only Tiago Estevao and Felix Irorere were still unavailable to BVB coach Jan Zimmermann due to injury. The new faces in the starting line-up were Antonios Papadopoulos in central defence, Patrick Göbel at right-back and Paul Besong at centre-forward. Mario Suver, Antonis Aidonis and Michael Eberwein dropped to the bench. That prompted some tactical changes: Ole Pohlmann again played in the hole behind the three forwards and Rodney Elongo-Yombo operated down the left wing.

The match & analysis: BVB applied pressure from the outset and created the first chance after a few minutes: Rodney Elongo-Yombo was fouled and Ole Pohlmann's free-kick found Franz Roggow at the near post. His header was clawed off the line by goalkeeper Nikolai Rehnen's reflex save. BVB dominated the play, with the home team rarely crossing the halfway line in the opening stages. Coach Jan Zimmermann's team repeatedly combined their way through the midfield and created their next opportunity in the 10th minute, but Ayman Azhil could not make proper contact with the ball following Hettwer's low cross. At the other end, the hosts converted their first chance of the match: Patrick Greil lobbed the ball over BVB keeper Marcel Lotka and into the net to put Sandhausen 1-0 up (15).

The hosts now increasingly focused on switching the play at speed. BVB applied pressure and wanted to restore parity. After several waves of BVB attacks, the game died down around the 30-minute mark. It was only in the final phase of the first half that BVB regained some momentum, but a bicycle kick from Rodney Elongo-Yombo came back off the upright. Sandhausen defender Weik's clearance fell to BVB attacker Julian Hettwer, forcing SVS goalkeeper Nikolai Rehnen to scramble to get to the ball before Hettwer did. SV Sandhausen then had the biggest opportunity in the final minutes of the first half, only for BVB custodian Marcel Lotka to turn the ball over the crossbar. 

Shortly after the restart, Ole Pohlmann dribbled down the left side of attack and through the opposition penalty area, skipping past three defenders before firing towards the far corner from 14 metres out – but the ball hit the post. BVB were right back in the match and dominating proceedings. The Black & Yellows repeatedly succeeded in disrupting the home team's attacking efforts early on and played attractive attacking football themselves. And then the team got their reward: a long ball from Patrick Göbel found Elongo-Yombo on the edge of the six-yard box in the 71st minute and he headed over the SVS goalkeeper to make it 1-1. But BVB wanted more, repeatedly won the ball back and attacked courageously. One of those possession turnovers led to a move involving Bueno, Azhil and Göbel. The latter beat his opponent in the penalty area and was fouled – penalty for BVB! Ole Pohlmann converted comfortably as per usual to put the Black & Yellows 2-1 ahead; it was his 16th goal for BVB overall.

After going behind, the home team subsequently pressed early but BVB repeatedly managed to skilfully extricate themselves from those situations. However, the hosts turned up the heat even more, delivered cross after cross into the BVB penalty box and repeatedly looked to get stuck into challenges as a means of forcing the equaliser: A deflected shot from Pink flew past Lotka to make it 2-2 (86). But that was not to be the final action of the game. Meier scored in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory for Sandhausen (90+5).

Outlook: The U23s will welcome FC Ingolstadt 04 to Stadion Rote Erde next Saturday (13/04 at 14:00 CET).

U23s: Lotka – Göbel, Pfanne, Papadopoulos, Bueno (Aning, 85) – Azhil, Pohlmann (Krevsun, 85), Roggow – Hettwer (Tattermusch, 80), Besong (Michel, 63), Elongo-Yombo

Goals: 1-0 Greil (15), 1-1 Elongo-Yombo (71), 1-2 Pohlmann (pen., 76), 2-2 Pink (86), 3-2 R. Meier (90+5)