Youth Teams at a Glance: Two local derbies and plenty of prestige | OneFootball

Youth Matches at a Glance

SV Bergisch Gladbach 09 – BVB (Regionalliga West): 14 August, 2026, 7:30 p.m. (Belkaw-Arena; tickets are available exclusively at the box office on game day starting at 6:00 p.m.)

BVB – FC Schalke 04 (DFB Youth League): 15 August, 2026, 10:45 a.m. (BVB Youth Academy)

U17: VfL Bochum – BVB (DFB Youth League): 15 August, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (Grass Field at Ruhrstadion/LA-Platz, Castroper Str. 145, Bochum)

U23s Face a Tough Challenge Against Newcomer Bergisch Gladbach

After two consecutive draws against Bochum (1–1) and Cologne (1–1), the U23s are aiming for their first win of the season. A victory on Friday at SV Bergisch Gladbach 09 could dispel the feeling that their hard work in the first two games of the season hasn’t been sufficiently rewarded. “I told the lads that they absolutely shouldn’t ease up. If you play like that, there’s a very good chance you’ll come away with the three points eventually,” says U23 head coach Daniel Rios, referring to the team’s spirited performance last Friday in front of over 5,000 fans at Rote Erde Stadium against Cologne.

As in recent matches, U19 players Luke Fahrenhorst and Dafi Zarqelain are in the squad. The Dortmund team, currently tenth in the standings, still trails the promoted side from Bergisch Gladbach. After a strong start to the league season with a 1-1 draw against Wattenscheid and a 3-1 win in Wiedenbrück, the league newcomer sits in fourth place—two points ahead of BVB.

Special Atmosphere Ahead of U19 Derby Against Schalke 04

Just in time for the prestigious local derby against FC Schalke 04, coach Felix Hirschnagl’s team has gotten back on track. The 4-2 victory in the first game of the DFB Youth League season against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen made up, at least in part, for the first-round exit from the DFB Cup a week earlier against Holstein Kiel (3-4).

The matchup against fellow favorites from Gelsenkirchen in Group H of the DFB Youth League offers a chance to build further momentum. “You can feel a special atmosphere. The lads already know that this is one of the most important games of the season. And of course, we want to win it,” said Hirschnagl. A win would give BVB a five-point lead over Königsblau. That’s because Schalke could not manage more than a 0-0 draw at home against MSV Duisburg in their season opener. One player to watch: BVB newcomer Bjarki Gardarsson. The 16-year-old Icelander has scored three goals in each of the matches against Kiel and Oberhausen. “He’s very clinical in front of the net and also a very team-oriented player,” said BVB coach Hirschnagl.

U17s Face Tough Test Against Bochum in B1 Clash

It’s not just the U19s facing an opponent from the Ruhr region this weekend. Almost at the same time, the U17s will take on VfL Bochum in a B1 matchup on Saturday morning. Coach Karsten Gorges’ team is likely to face a tougher challenge than they did in their spectacular 7-0 rout of Wuppertaler SV—a match attended by BVB Managing Director Lars Ricken—which kicked off Group G in the DFB Youth League. That’s because VfL, alongside BVB, is considered a contender for a top spot, even though they got off to a rough start with a 3–5 loss to Schalke. Nevertheless, Gorges views the match in Bochum as a first test to gauge the team’s progress: “Then we’ll see how far along we are.”