Final thriller! BVB youngsters go for the title against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Just one more step to the title. Dortmund’s youth team is reaching for the trophy in the Premier League International Cup. In Tuesday’s final (12 May, 8 p.m. CEST, live on YouTube), BVB will face Real Madrid in a prestigious showdown.

The combined team of U19 and U23 players could crown its first appearance in the competition by winning the cup. Before that, the Black and Yellows cruised confidently through the group stage. With three wins from four matches, they secured top spot in the group. In the knockout stage, two 2-0 victories over Everton FC and Real Sociedad San Sebastián followed. Now only one more win against Real Madrid is needed to complete the major triumph.

“We didn’t enter the tournament just to take part. We want to win every game and then analyze it afterward,” said Daniel Ríos (46). The U23 coach oversees the team in close coordination with Felix Hirschnagl (41), his coaching colleague from the U19s.

“We want to stay true to ourselves”

Strong performances in historic stadiums such as Old Trafford in Manchester and Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light marked Dortmund’s path to the final. Given the heavy workload this season, Hirschnagl is especially proud of reaching the final at Wycombe Wanderers’ Adams Park: “We’ve had many intense periods this season with lots of matches in different competitions. That makes it all the nicer that we now get to play in a final.”

Dortmund will also rely on the proven mix of U19 and U23 players against Real Madrid. “We won’t look at age when choosing the lineup. These matches are enormously important, especially for the younger players, in helping them take the next step,” Ríos is convinced. Hirschnagl added: “We want to stay true to ourselves and secure results with our way of playing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a final, a knockout match, or a group game.”

Photo: IMAGO

Madrid are still unbeaten. After two wins and two draws in the group stage, Real showed tremendous character in the knockout rounds, turning a 0-2 deficit against Manchester United in the quarter-finals into a 4-2 win after extra time. The semi-final against Dinamo Zagreb (2-1) was also only decided in extra time. Hirschnagl warned of the opponent’s dominance on the ball: “Real are a typical Spanish team that enjoys a lot of possession, plays in a dominant way, and presses high.” Dortmund will need to stop the Spaniards’ quick transitions in particular.

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