U17 regional derby for first place – U23 aims to build on success | OneFootball

Youth Matches at a Glance

U23: VfB Hilden – BVB (Regionalliga West): 29 August, 2026, 2:00 p.m. (Bezirkssportanlage Am Bandsbusch; tickets are available in the VfB Hilden online shop)

U19: No game – Friendly against Viktoria Köln: 30 August, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (BVB Youth Training Center)

U17: BVB – FC Schalke 04 (DFB Youth League): 30 August, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (BVB Youth Training Center)

U23 opponent Hilden still undefeated

Just three days after their convincing 4-1 win at FC Fulham, the U23s already face their next challenge. After returning from London, Daniel Rios’s team had just one training session to prepare for the away game at VfB Hilden. The BVB coach is preparing his players for a confident opponent: “For a team that was just promoted, VfB has had a very good start. They haven’t lost any of their four games so far and have conceded only two goals.”

With another win, the eighth-place team from Dortmund can move ahead of VfB, which is currently one point ahead in the standings. Their first win of the season in the Regionalliga West is a source of encouragement: The U23s most recently prevailed 3–1 in Bergisch Gladbach. Rios does not view the heavy workload from the match in England as a handicap. “It’s part of the players’ development that they perform at their best week after week—not just in the Premier League International Cup, but also in the league.” It’s quite possible that the coach will manage the workload and rely on rotation. Nine young players remained in Dortmund during the week.

U19 Takes Advantage of a Weekend Without Matches for a Friendly

The U19s have had an intense start to the season. Their 2-0 win at VfL Osnabrück was followed just four days later by a 1-1 draw at MSV Duisburg. In these two away matches, Felix Hirschnagl’s team defended its top spot in Group H of the DFB Youth League. There are no competitive matches scheduled for this coming weekend. Instead, the U19s will face Viktoria Köln in a friendly on Sunday at 11 a.m. BVB’s league action resumes on September 5, when Hirschnagl’s squad will host third-place Rot-Weiss Essen at 11 a.m. at the club’s youth training center.

A closely contested Revierderby: U17s aim to solidify their lead

First versus second, both still undefeated and with nearly identical goal differentials: The Revierderby between BVB and FC Schalke 04 is already a true showdown on the fourth matchday. Dortmund leads the table with a 15-5 goal difference, followed by Schalke at 14-4. Another thing they have in common: Both teams most recently defeated Wuppertaler SV 7-0.

Karsten Gorges expects a closely contested match: “I think the game will be evenly matched. Regardless of the standings, the derby has actually always been a close game.” For the U17 coach, the matchup is far more than just an ordinary league game. “For the club—and this applies to all youth teams as well—it’s always been a special game. Making the lads aware of that is part of their development.” BVB’s successful cup performance on Wednesday provides additional momentum. In the round of 16 of the newly introduced WDFV Cup, the team prevailed over Rot-Weiss Essen 7–6 in a penalty shootout.

In terms of personnel, Gorges has nearly a full roster to draw from. With the exception of one player, the entire squad is available to him. Competition for spots is correspondingly fierce. According to the coach, he’ll have to “make tough decisions” for the derby. Gorges is heading into the match against Schalke with a great deal of confidence. Following the well-deserved league victories against Bochum and Duisburg, he believes the team is well prepared: “We’re confident and want to win this game—with everything we’ve got.”