On Friday (kick-off: 19:00 CET), Borussia Dortmund’s U23 will take on the second team of SC Freiburg. The Black and Yellows are hoping to take all of the momentum from their latest success to the Breisgau.

After the comfortable victory against Mannheim last weekend, relief was written all over the faces of the Black and Yellow faithful. The final scoreline of 4-0 was the biggest win for the BVB U23s in 18 months, and the first under the new head coach Jan Zimmermann: “It was a very positive afternoon for everyone involved. The victory made everyone feel good.”

The team put in a confident performance over the entire 90 minutes. BVB were able to demonstrate all their qualities against Waldhof, above all speed and straightforward transitions. Finally, they showed a much-needed helping of clinical finishing. These were all things that Zimmermann has been meticulously working on with his players since taking on the role of head coach: “It’s a good sign for us that what we’re working on actually works. We know that we can be successful with our style of football. Now we have to keep at it.”

Thanks to the victory, Borussia’s youngsters earned themselves a little bit of breathing room in the table, but it is still tight in the battle to stay in the division – only three points separate the BVB from the relegation zone. BVB have to accept the situation for what it is, but not let it affect them too severely. “We know that there are still plenty of games to go, and that not every weekend will go as smoothly as it did against Mannheim. That is why we simply have to keep on working hard, get more consistency into our performances and try to improve from week to week,” says Dortmund’s head coach. “Then we will be able to win a lot more games. But it will be a challenge every week.”

That will be the case on Friday in particular. BVB will once again be facing a real heavyweight in the division. Freiburg’s youngsters lie second in the league and are currently on an impressive run of form. Last Monday, the only other U23s side in the 3. Liga clinched a 3-0 win away at Viktoria Cologne. SCF have won five of their seven games after the winter break, while the other two ended in a draw. “They really play a very uniform and results-oriented style of football. They also have an awful lot of talented players. That is why we will be challenged there in every department,” said BVB coach Zimmermann. “But I also find it exciting for the lads that they can compete against another U23 side. We have the necessary respect for the opposition, but we are not afraid of them. We will get on the bus with the clear goal of driving home with something in our pockets.”

After all, the Black and Yellows gained a lot of self-confidence from the clear victory last weekend. And the last away performance in the Breisgau also gives us reasons to be optimistic: Borussia won 5-2. A similarly successful result would definitely make the long bus journey back to Dortmund a lot more enjoyable.