Another respectable result for Borussia’s U17s: coach Marco Lehmann’s team came back from 2-0 down away to unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and drew the top match 2-2 to seal an important point. Both goals were the result of penalties converted by Ousmane Diallo and Fritz Fleck.

“Getting four points in the away games in Schalke and Leverkusen is not to be taken for granted. We can be really proud of the lads. It feels like a victory here,” beamed a happy Marco Lehmann following the final whistle at the Bayer-Leistungszentrum Kurtekotten. The team earned themselves the point with their courageous performance.

Lehmann made only one change compared to the 3-2 triumph in the derby away to FC Schalke 04. Defender Tyler Meiser returned to the starting line-up from the U19s, with Luca Riedl dropping to the bench. BVB made a good start to the game, controlled the ball and opposition – and went 2-0 down almost out of nothing. The physically strong Francis Onyeka got the better of the Dortmund defence following a corner and headed the ball past Leon Herdes into the net (10). Onyeka was on hand a short while later when Herdes spilled the ball following a long-range shot. The Leverkusen forward reacted at lightning speed and scored the second goal. Herdes otherwise produced a sparkling goalkeeping performance.

“Despite the two quick goals we conceded, we didn’t let ourselves get rattled and continued to look for our chance,” said a delighted Marco Lehmann of his team’s reaction. They were rewarded for their hard work with a goal back before the break. Ousmane Diallo was fouled in the penalty area and converted the resultant penalty to make it 2-1. Beforehand, Leverkusen’s Ferdinand Pohl had cleared the ball off the line following Len Wörsdörfer’s remarkable effort.

Diallo and Fleck convert penalties

Lehmann made some slight tactical tweaks at half-time. “We didn’t have a good grip on the opposition pressing in the first half, but we then played more courageously and aggressively, pressed Leverkusen high and were the closer to making it 3-2 in the end,” he explained. Fritz Fleck equalised with a cheeky penalty after he himself had been brought down (60′). The closing stages, which saw many personnel changes, turned into an open exchange.

Borussia’s U17s cemented their place in the leading pack in the process. SC Paderborn will be the next opponents on Saturday 25 November. The U17s will play a friendly against the FC Iserlohn U19s next week (19 November).

U17: Herdes – Benkara, Meiser, Driedger (Degener, 46) –Kaba, Blaszczyk – Burstedde (Svitek, 89), Fritz (Hoy, 82), Cherny, Diallo (Schwarz, 82) – Wörsdörfer (Cena, 70) 

Borussia’s U19s to face Zwolle on Wednesday

The U19s’ Bundesliga match against SC Verl, which was scheduled to take place this weekend, has been moved to Sunday 3 December (11:00 CET) due to the FIFA U17 World Cup. If the Germany U17 national team reach the round of 16 at the tournament in Indonesia, the derby in Schalke on Saturday 25 November will also be rescheduled. Four BVB players (Robin Lisewski for Poland, Almugera Kabar, Charles Herrmann and Paris Brunner for Germany) are currently in action at the World Cup. The same applies to Rafael Lubach, who is in the Germany U19 squad that will play two internationals against Norway in Estepona, Spain (16 and 19 November). Borussia’s U19s will play a friendly fixture against Dutch club PEC Zwolle on Wednesday (15 November, 17:00 CET). (wiwi)