Thanks to goals from Ayman Azhil (14th), Michael Eberwein (27th) and Ole Pohlmann (51st), Borussia Dortmund’s U23s won 3-1 at Viktoria Köln. The black and yellow youngsters had to continue playing with ten men after almost an hour because Julian Hettwer was shown a red card after an emergency stop. BVB’s second team is now in fifth place in the 3rd division and has been unbeaten for eight games – longer than any other team in the league.
Starting situation: Coach Jan Zimmermann’s team hadn’t lost in seven games, and the winter break got off to a very good start with wins against the top teams Jahn Regensburg and Dynamo Dresden. The U23 defied the many failures of the past few weeks and scored regularly; the last time the team lost 2-0 was in November 2023 at FC Erzgebirge Aue. BVB was able to score 15 points away from home, while Viktoria scored 21 points at home. The cathedral townspeople were in 13th place before the game.
Personnel: Coach Zimmermann started with a slightly different starting lineup compared to the win at Dynamo Dresden. Marcel Lotka started in goal for Silas Ostrzinski and Ole Pohlmann came into the team for Falko Michel.
Course of the game: The hosts started powerfully, but the Black and Yellows had the first opportunity of the game. It was Michael Eberwein who reached a cross with his toe and poked the ball past the keeper and also the goal.
BVB waited for ball losses and were rewarded in the 14th minute. After a pass from Franz Roggow, Ayman Azhil got to the ball free in front of guest keeper Ben Voll and coolly lofted the ball into the box to take the lead. Six minutes later Julian Hettwer made it 2-0. Azhil played an exemplary clearance for the winger who had taken off, but Viktoria goalkeeper Boll remained the winner this time.
The Black and Yellows were able to extend their lead in the 27th minute. Michael Eberwein prevailed in the center and headed the ball under the crossbar. Hettwer had previously crossed into the six-meter area. Viktoria was especially dangerous on the left side, where Sidny Lopes Cabral caused a lot of excitement. But the black and yellow youngsters held on and knew how to use their own attacks cleverly.
Shortly before half-time, Luca Marseiler was able to break through on the left and found Suheyel Najar with his cross, who scored the goal (44th). We went into the break with the score 2-1.
Cologne started the second half powerfully and had a great chance to equalize after a corner in the 50th minute through central defender Michael Schultz, but his header hit the post. In return, BVB countered, Azhil dribbled his way through the Viktoria defense and found Ole Pohlmann, who scored from six meters to make it 3-1 for BVB. Shortly afterwards, the hosts quickly switched gears after a BVB corner. Cologne’s Najar was stopped by Hettwer, referee Erbst drew a red card because he called for an emergency brake. From then on, BVB played with ten men against an angry attack from Cologne.
In the 68th minute, Marcel Lotka prevented former Borussia player Lars Dietz from scoring again. As a result, the Cologne team repeatedly came up with standard situations in the majority, but there were no chances. Most of Cologne’s attempts to attack bounced off the black and yellow bulwark. Lotka only had to intervene once in Viktoria’s final offensive. The Black and Yellows were lucky when Schultz’s long-range shot hit the post shortly before the end.
Jan Zimmermann was very satisfied with his team’s performance: “We controlled the game quite well in the first few minutes, then a very open game developed with both teams repeatedly finding promising situations. There could have been a few more goals. In the phase in which we almost concede the equalizer and then actually make it 3-1, we get a red card. After that, like last week, we defended very, very self-sacrificingly. Things could have been tight again. In the end it was a very good performance against a really strong team.”
Outlook: On Tuesday, SC Preußen Münster will come to Rote Erde for the catch-up game on matchday 20. Kick-off is at 7 p.m., tickets from the original date in December remain valid.
U23: Lotka – Aidonis, Pfanne, Suver, Semic – Roggow (80th Otuali), Pohlmann (80th Tattermusch), Azhil – Elongo-Yombo, Eberwein, Hettwer
Goals: 0:1 Azhil (14th), 0:2 Eberwein (27th), 1:2 Najar (44th), 1:3 (Pohlmann (51st)
Red card: Hettwer (59.)
2024-02-10 11:20:38
#Unbeaten #games #U23 #wins #Cologne
