Youth Team roundup: West Derby, redemption and league kickoff | OneFootball

The U23s aim to improve their season opener record with a home win over 1. FC Köln’s U23s, while the U19s hope to shake off the disappointment of their early exit from the DFB Cup in Oberhausen. The U17s are hoping for a successful start against Wuppertal. 

Youth Matches at a Glance

U23: BVB – 1. FC Köln II (Regionalliga West): 7 August 2026, 7:30 p.m. (Rote Erde Stadium, tickets available in the online shop)

U19: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen – BVB (DFB Youth League): 8 August 2026, 2:00 p.m. (Oberhausen Youth Training Center, Lindnerstr. 2–6)

U17: BVB vs. Wuppertaler SV (DFB Youth League): 8 August 8 2026, 1:00 p.m. (BVB Youth Training Center)

Exciting West German Classic for the U23s Against Cologne

Good moments, plenty of chances—but too little to show for it. In the small derby at VfL Bochum, BVB was the better team but had to settle for a 1–1 draw. At least new signing Connor Krempicki (82') averted a poor start with his late equalizer. Ahead of Friday’s match against 1. FC Köln II at the Rote Erde, coach Daniel Rios is hoping for greater efficiency.

There will be only a few changes to the roster. U23 players Silas Ostrzinski, Takato Yamamoto, and Ayman Azhil will remain part of the Bundesliga team’s training squad for the time being, even after their return from Japan. Interest in the West German classic is considerable. Over 2,000 tickets have already been sold in advance. “A lot of people will be coming. The lads should look forward to that and try to take the next step against a strong opponent. I hope we can pick up our first three points of the season at home,” said Rios.

U19 Coach Hirschnagl Hopes for a Positive Response

Now more than ever! A week after their unfortunate first-round elimination from the DFB Cup against Holstein Kiel (3–4), Dortmund’s U19s are looking to bounce back in Group H of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. For the match against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, coach Felix Hirschnagl can once again count on several key players who recently traveled to Japan with the BVB first team.

However, Luke Fahrenhorst and Fadi Zarqelain are once again part of the U23 squad. The fact that the team didn’t give up despite the major lineup changes after falling behind 1–4 against Kiel—and came close to equalizing thanks to three goals from Icelandic newcomer Bjarki Hrafn Gardarsson—gives the coach confidence: “The lads showed incredible mental toughness. That has to be the foundation for the coming days. Once we get back into our routines and find our rhythm as a team, the rest will fall into place.”

U17 Ahead of League Opener Against Wuppertal

As they kick off the preliminary round of the DFB Youth League against Wuppertaler SV, coach Karsten Gorges’ team is hoping for better luck than they had at last weekend’s high-caliber, internationally competitive tournament in Berlin. After a series of mostly evenly matched games, BVB finished the Youngster Cup in sixth place. Unlike in Berlin, where only 15 field players were available, Gorges will have more personnel options to draw on for Saturday’s home game.

As in the previous year, Borussia is aiming to qualify for the main round. Among the co-favorites in the battle for the top three spots in Group G are local rivals FC Schalke 04 and VfL Bochum. Their upcoming opponent from Wuppertal did not finish higher than seventh in the preliminary round last season.