BVB friendly against Mainz 05: Alexandra Popp scores first for Dortmund | OneFootball

An impressive performance from Borussia Dortmund’s women’s team: in a friendly against 1. FSV Mainz 05, Alexandra Popp’s side battled to a 3-3 (3-2) draw. The star signing from VfL Wolfsburg celebrated her first goal against the newly promoted Bundesliga team.

Popp has ambitious goals. In a recent interview with Ruhr Nachrichten, the three-time Footballer of the Year revealed her long-term aim: “Hopefully in the Bundesliga with BVB!”

However, Dortmund’s women still need two more promotions to reach Germany’s top flight. Last season, BVB fell just short. The reserve team of 1. FC Köln collected two more points in the Regionalliga and moved up to the 2. Bundesliga.

Getting there is also the Black-and-Yellows’ goal over the next twelve months. During a week-long training camp, head coach Markus Högner (59) and his staff are laying the foundations for the upcoming season. The squad traveled to the picturesque town of Westendorf in the Kitzbühel Alps.

However, the players are unlikely to have much time to enjoy the scenic setting. After just two training sessions, they faced Eintracht Frankfurt II, who play in the second division, in their first pre-season match. With a convincing 5-2 win, they sent the Hessians off the pitch as losers.

Last-minute equalizer

Match number two followed on Wednesday evening (22 July). After finishing second behind VfB Stuttgart, Mainz earned promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2025/26 season and were therefore considered the favorites in the clash with BVB.

But Borussia got off to a flying start. After just ten minutes, they were already 2-0 ahead. Popp, with a deflected header in the eighth minute, and Rita Schumacher from the penalty spot provided the Regionalliga side’s goals. Gentiana Fetaj in the 21st minute and Leonie Stöhr in the 28th made it 2-2. Before the break, Ramona Maier, a new signing from SGS Essen, put Dortmund back in front (29th).

Photo: IMAGO

The second half was less spectacular, especially as coach Högner changed the entire team. Mainz dominated the closing stages and Lara Martin scored the 3-3 equalizer in the 90th minute.

BVB (1st half): Van der Laan – Steenwijk, Kempe, Wöhrn, Vogel, Günnewig, Ito, Schumacher, Maier, Böger, Popp

BVB (2nd half): Lichatschow – Schmidt, Schuster, Meißner, Ostermeier, Reimann, Walkling, Leubner, Scholz, Willeke, Enderle

Substitutes: Hoffmann (70), Bitiq (70)

Goals: 1:0 Popp (7), 2:0 Schumacher (10), 2:1 Fetaj (21), 2:2 Stöhr (28), 3:2 Maier (29), 3:3 Martin (90)

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