Borussia’s U17s have signed off for the winter break with a 1-0 victory at Arminia Bielefeld and cemented their hold on third place in the B-Junior Bundesliga.

It felt as though BVB had between 70% and 80% possession on the artificial turf in Halle/Westphalia, but they struggled to create clear chances against a deep-lying Bielefeld side. At the other end, the Black & Yellows allowed the opposition only a few chances. “We defended with great concentration,” said Marco Lehmann in praise of the defensive performance from his team. Arminia registered only one dangerous glimpse of goal in the first period, which saw them strike the crossbar in the aftermath of a corner-kick.

Borussia dominated and controlled the ball and their opponents for long spells. “We played well up until the final third, but that final ball was ultimately lacking,” remarked Lehmann. Especially after the opening goal was scored by former Bielefeld player Fritz Fleck, who was assisted by Justin Hoy, in the 50th minute. “We could’ve easily extended the lead. It was definitely not a top match, but we’ll happily and deservedly take the three points,” said Marco Lehmann, who was delighted with the successful conclusion to the year. 

The two-point gap to the leading duo of Schalke and Leverkusen means that Marco Lehmann’s team still have every chance of working their way into one of the top two spots that secure qualification for the Final Round of the German Championship in the New Year. The tense personnel situation could improve significantly by the time the championship starts up again. “It looks as though almost all of the injury absentees will return after the holidays,” Lehmann explained.

The preparations for the spring round will begin on 10 January. VfB Waltrop await BVB in the first Bundesliga match of the New Year on Sunday 18 February.

BVB: Held – Cena, Riedl, Nwofor, Blaszczyk – Kaba, Degener – Wörsdörfer (Schwarz, 81), Fleck, Cherny, Hoy (Ritter, 90).

(wiwi)