U17 Revierderby for top spot – U23 aim to follow up | OneFootball

The youth matches at a glance

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

U19:

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

U23 opponents Hilden still unbeaten

Just three days after the convincing 4-1 win at FC Fulham, the U23s already have their next task on the schedule. After returning from London, Daniel Rios’ team had only one training session to prepare for the away match at VfB Hilden. The BVB coach is preparing his players for a confident opponent: “For a promoted side, VfB have had a very good start. They have not lost any of their first four matches and have conceded only two goals.”

With another win, Dortmund, currently eighth in the table, can overtake VfB, who are one point ahead at the moment. Their first Regionalliga West victory of the season provides encouragement: the U23s most recently won 3-1 in Bergisch Gladbach. Rios does not see the heavy workload from the match in England as a handicap. “It is part of the players’ development that they deliver their performance week after week—not only in the Premier League International Cup, but also in the league.” It is quite possible that the coach will manage the workload and rotate his squad. Nine talents had remained in Dortmund during the week.

U19 use weekend without a league match for a friendly

The U19s have already had an intense start to the season. After a 2-0 win at VfL Osnabrück, they followed it up just four days later with a 1-1 draw at MSV Duisburg. In those two away matches, Felix Hirschnagl’s team defended top spot in Group H of the DFB Youth League. There is no competitive fixture scheduled for next weekend. Instead, the U19s will face Viktoria Köln in a friendly on Sunday at 11 a.m. BVB return to league action on 5 September. Hirschnagl’s side will then host third-placed Rot-Weiss Essen at 11 a.m. at their home youth performance center.

Revierderby on equal footing: U17 want to cement top spot

First versus second, both still unbeaten and with almost identical goal differences: the Revierderby between BVB and FC Schalke 04 is already a real top clash on matchday four. Dortmund lead the table with a 15:5 goal difference, with Schalke close behind on 14:4. Another similarity: both teams most recently beat Wuppertaler SV 7-0.

Karsten Gorges expects a closely balanced contest: “I think it will be a very even game. Regardless of the table, the derby has almost always been a tight match.” For the U17 coach, the duel is much more than an ordinary league game. “For the club—and that runs through all the youth teams—it has always been a special match. It is part of our development work to make the boys aware of that.” BVB also take extra momentum from their successful cup outing on Wednesday. In the round of 16 of the newly introduced WDFV Cup, the team beat Rot-Weiss Essen 7-6 on penalties.

In terms of personnel, Gorges can almost pick from a full squad. Apart from one player, the entire squad is available to him. Accordingly, competition for places is fierce. For the derby, the coach said, he will have to make “tough decisions.” Gorges goes into the duel with Schalke full of confidence. After deserved league wins against Bochum and Duisburg, he believes his team are well prepared: “We are confident and want to win this game—with everything we have at our disposal.”

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