Still unbeaten? – BVB U23 await 1. FC Bocholt | OneFootball

While numerous professionals are away with their national teams, Borussia Dortmund’s U23 side is set for matchday ten of the Regionalliga West on Saturday. Kicking off at 2 p.m. at Stadion Rote Erde, the visitors will be 1. FC Bocholt, against whom BVB’s second team will look to extend their unbeaten run.

As the only team in the Regionalliga West yet to lose, Dortmund’s U23s could even climb from third to first place if results go perfectly this matchday. For that to happen, however, FC Gütersloh must fail to beat SC Paderborn II on Friday evening if Dortmund win their own game, and league leaders Rot-Weiß Oberhausen would also need to lose to SV Rödinghausen on Sunday by a margin that would allow BVB not only to take three points but also make up their current six-goal deficit.

Head coach Daniel Rios emphasized on the club website, however, that the match against Bocholt will be anything but straightforward: “We have to prepare for a strong team and must not be fooled by their position in the table. Their points tally so far does not reflect the quality in the squad. They have individual class and a clear plan. A new coach and several new players arrived in the summer. Sometimes that just takes a bit of time. It will be a big challenge.”

Two personnel question marks – Better finishing in focus

In terms of the squad, there are still two question marks that will only be resolved at short notice. It remains unclear whether Diego Ngambia, who missed Monday’s 1-1 draw at SC Paderborn II with a knock, will be available, and whether Fadi Zarqelain will be ready to play after attending a development camp with BVB.

Photo: IMAGO / Nordphoto

Regardless of personnel, Rios is hoping to see further progress from his team, especially in the final third: “As long as we keep creating so many chances, we’re on the right track. But we have a lot of young players who still have a lot to learn – it’s all about development. We need to put more emphasis in training on taking our chances with greater focus.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.