A draw in the game against Paris Saint-Germain will be enough for Borussia’s U19s to reach the UEFA Youth League play-offs for the third time in a row. The final match in Group F kicks off at 16:00 CET at the Youth Performance Centre in Brackel on Wednesday. AC Milan have already secured top spot in the group and their place in the last 16.
“It’s in our own hands and we are looking forward to this final,” assured head coach Mike Tullberg, who also noted: “The fact that we are in this position despite unfavourable conditions is a great achievement. The boys can be proud of that.”
PSG had previously been considered heavy favourites, alongside AC Milan, in the very strong group F – and they showed why in the 1-0 victories in Newcastle and in the home match against AC Milan. And although BVB had caused an upset with the 1-0 win in Paris thanks to a goal from Julian Rijkhoff, Mike Tullberg believes the Black and Yellows will go into the match as outsiders once again: “We are the underdogs. But of course, we will try to make the seemingly impossible possible.”
That is exactly what they did last weekend when they claimed a 2-1 victory in the big Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen, despite being forced to field a weakened team. “We really enjoyed that for one day, and we enjoyed the team’s performance. But Paris are once again on a different level to Leverkusen,” said Tullberg, reaffirming his respect for the strong opposition his side will face in Europe. Paris Saint-Germain currently lie second in the “Championnat National U19”, the French championship, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw with 14th placed Montrouge last time out.
Top players in this squad sprinkled with youth internationals include 16-year-old centre-forward Mahamadou Sangaré, who has already scored 13 goals in the league this season, central midfielder Ethan Mbappé, brother of star striker Kylian Mbappé, left-back Serif Nhage, and dangerous attacking midfielders Etienne Michut and Kamil Bensoula. Coach Zoumana Camara will have to do without Senny Mayulu in Dortmund, as the playmaker was shown a second yellow and subsequent red card in the 2-1 defeat to against Newcastle United.
Personnel problems persist
BVB coach Mike Tullberg, meanwhile, is plagued by far greater injury concerns. The personnel situation has only improved slightly compared to the Leverkusen match. Rafael Lubach, who is suspended in the Bundesliga, will return to the midfield, but BVB will go into this important match without the injured Filippo Mane, Jaden Korzynietz, Almugera Kabar and Charles Herrmann. There are serious doubts over the availability of Cole Campbell, who is suffering from an illness,
so the squad will once again be filled with players from the U17s – presumably Tyler Meiser, Elias Benkara, Ousmane Diallo, Nick Cherny and Fritz Fleck. “What they did against Leverkusen – some of them in positions that were unfamiliar to them – was outstanding, and they have earned our trust,” said Tullberg. And the coach and his young charges have already successfully overcome a number of obstacles in the UEFA Youth League. (wiwi)
Tickets for the game are available in the online ticket shop and at the box office. The seats in the stands are already sold out, so only standing room is available. (Click here to read the information for fans attending the game.) The match will also be broadcast live on BVB TV.