The recent winning streak has come to an end, as the Borussia Dortmund U23s fell to a 2-1 (1-0) defeat against Rot-Weiss Essen in front of 17,093 spectators at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on Friday evening. At the very least, the crowd set a new attendance record for BVB’s second team.

The scenario: BVB went into the evening under the floodlights with the confidence that comes after weaving together a five-game unbeaten run. Essen, on the other hand, recently suffered back-to-back heavy losses in Unterhaching (4-0) and against Verl (5-0).

Personnel matters: Dortmund coach Jan Zimmermann made two changes to his starting line-up from the 2-2 draw in Bielefeld: Hendry Blank is currently away with the German U20 national team and Paul Besong was absent due to injury. Replacing them in the starting XI were Guille Bueno and the double goalscorer from the previous week, Rodney Elongo-Yombo.

The match: The game got off to an even start. The first good chance fell to BVB, but Julian Hettwer wasn’t able to make the all-important connection at the back post from Elongo-Yombo’s dangerous delivery from the left flank. 

Not long afterwards came a moment which Justin Butler would rather forget: the striker injured himself in the middle while tussling with an Essen defender for the ball after Bueno’s cross from the left and had to leave the field with a limp (15). Franz Roggow came into the game to replace him.#

Dortmund keeper Marcel Lotka was tested for the first time in the 25th minute, as he made a great reaction save to deny Leonardo Vonic’s close-range effort. A few minutes later, however, luck was not on Lotka’s side: after a corner from the left by Eric Voufack, Mustafa Kourouma rose highest near the six-yard line and headed the ball off the underside of the crossbar. The ball deflected onto Lotka’s back and into the back of the net (30).

Michael Eberwein tried to respond quickly for the Black & Yellows with a solo effort, but his shot from distance flew over the Essen goal (35.). Falko Michel had BVB’s best chance of the match thus far after a cross from Bueno, but Essen goalkeeper Jakob Golz did well to parry the ball to safety (39).

After the break, BVB were awarded a penalty kick following a foul by Kourouma on Hettwer. Michel did not miss the opportunity and converted calmly to make it 1-1 (57). However, the celebrations didn’t last long. The visitors hit back quickly, as Torben Müsel headed in a cross from Lucas Brumme to bring the score to 2-1 in the 58th minute.

The Black & Yellows pushed hard for an equaliser, but couldn’t find the reward their efforts deserved. All that was missing was the necessary composure in front of goal. 

Coach Jan Zimmermann made the following remarks after the final whistle: “It was an open game. The injury to Justin Butler affected us a lot. We lost a lot of challenges and were often second to balls. In the second half, we created some good opportunities. We gave away the equaliser we had fought hard for. Based on the second half, we could have taken a point.”

Outlook: The U23s will pick things up next Friday, when they travel to play Waldhof Mannheim (19:00 CET).

U23s: Lotka – Göbel, Papadopoulos, Pudel, Bueno (65, Bamba) – Azhil (65, Otuali), Michel (81, Nischalke) – Hettwer (81, Semic), Eberwein, Elongo-Yombo – Butler (20, Roggow)

Goals: 0-1 Lotka (30, own-goal), 1-1 Michel (57, penalty), 1-2 Müsel (58)

Daniel Mertens