No goals in the season opener: U23s draw 0-0 in Münster

The scenario: The first matchday of 2023/24 and the Borussia Dortmund U23s’ third season in succession in the 3. Liga. BVB had enjoyed a good pre-season and prepared themselves for the coming campaign at a training camp in Austria. Coach Jan Zimmermann’s charges picked up some positive results in their friendly fixtures, with the Black & Yellows running out 2-0 winners over Dutch top-flight outfit Go Ahead Eagles in their final acid test a week before the competitive restart. The promoted club from Münster comfortably sealed the Regionalliga West title last season and returned to the third-highest tier of German football following a three-year absence. SC Preußen also performed well in pre-season and beat the likes of second-tier Eintracht Braunschweig by a 3-1 scoreline. The final friendly before the start of the season against Kickers Offenbach (Regionalliga) ended in a 4-1 triumph for the men from Münster.

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Personnel matters: The Black & Yellow squad underwent an overhaul this summer. Nine external new signings plus five players from the U19s joined the squad. Dortmund coach Zimmermann rarely had the entire team at his disposal throughout pre-season. Several U23 players trained with the first-team squad and joined the travelling party for the USA Tour. Zimmermann selected three new signings – Ayman Azhil, Franz Roggow and Justin Butler – for the opening competitive game of the new season. Captain Franz Pfanne led the team onto the pitch and lined up alongside Mario Suver in central defence, with Justin Butler in attack.

The match: The Black & Yellows created their first good opportunity after only four minutes: Roggow was played through down the left flank and cleverly cut the ball back, but Michael Eberwein fired over from around 11 metres out. BVB lined up in a 4-3-3 system, with Azhil sitting in front of the two central defenders. The U23s repeatedly trying to use Roggow and the lively Rodney Elgono-Yombo to transfer the ball into the attack.

On the other side, the men from Münster were aggressive and went into the game brimming with promotion euphoria. Gerrit Wegkamp thundered the ball against the bar from nine metres after a short corner routine in the sixth minute. Lucky for BVB. Unlike many season openers, this match was characterised by a high tempo and some heated challenges from the beginning.

Despite the high tempo – which dropped off sharply midway through the first half – scoring chances were few and far between in the following minutes. Both teams tackled intensely as a means of denying the other shooting opportunities. The hosts more frequently posed a threat in the final third, but the Black & Yellows always managed to get a block in. Suver, for example, blocked Thorben Deters’ shot (24). Borussia struggled to work their way into shooting positions via the centre and the half-spaces. Following a long ball, Butler picked out Elongo-Yombo with a pass but his shot was blocked by Preußen captain Thomas Kok who came sliding in at the last second (32).

The were no further dangerous attacking moments in what was – also in terms of the share of possession – an even first period. And so it was goalless at half-time in front of a sell crowd of 11,744 spectators and a loud away sector.

BVB brought on two pairs of fresh legs at the beginning of the second 45 minutes: Guille Bueno replaced Bjarne Pudel at left-back, with Julian Hettwer replacing Butler at centre-forward. Preußen were awarded a free-kick from a good position after 52 minutes but Marcel Lotka was on full alert to keep out Alexander Hahn’s attempt. A matter of moments later, Borussia’s custodian was on hand to keep out a shot from Joel Grodowski. There was then a moment of real danger in front of the BVB goal after the hour mark: Grodowski and Daniel Kyerewaa linked up nicely, but the latter narrowly missed the target with his shot from inside the penalty area (62).

BVB did not frequently pose a threat in front of the opposition goal in the second period either and had a battle on their hands to deal with their adversary’s intense style of play. At the other end, however, the home team also could not make the decisive breakthrough against a stable Borussia defence marshalled by captain Pfanne.

The Black & Yellows did manage to launch one or two dangerous counter-attacks via substitute Ole Pohmann but lacked precision when it came to the final pass or the final cross. It was also Pohlmann who made an intervention in his own penalty area in the 81st minute to thwart Sebastian Mrowca, who would have been left with a simple header from several metres out. It was the last chance of an intense season opener.

Reaction: BVB coach Jan Zimmermann: “We were slightly surprised that we had so much ball possession. We’d expected Münster to be more active and press higher. We did not play the ball out so well from the back. The opposition were clever, waited for our mistakes and then switched quickly. In the end, it was a hard-fought and fortunate point for us. We’re happy to take that here and I cannot reproach the team for anything.”

Outlook: The U23s do not have a fixture to fulfil next week due to the first round of the DFB-Pokal. The league campaign will continue at 13:30 CET on 20 August with game against the SC Freiburg reserves at the Rote Erde.

U23s: Lotka, Pudel, Suver, Pfanne, Tattermusch (Bueno, 46) – Azhil (Pohlmann, 55), Roggow (Semic, 84), Eberwein – Elongo-Yombo (Nischalke, 84), Michel, Butler (Hettwer, 46)