U23s to host SC Verl at Stadion Rote Erde

The Borussia Dortmund U23s will play in parallel to a BVB Bundesliga game for the 16th time this season on Saturday (14:00 CET). The opponents at Stadion Rote Erde will be the offensively strong SC Verl, who have already scored 42 goals in the 3. Liga this season. BVB won the reverse fixture by a 3-2 scoreline in the closing stages following a high-quality match from both teams.

The BVB U23s have had to contend with the loss of many important players recently - and there will be seven players out of action again on Saturday, after Prince Aning was suspended for three matches by the DFB for his red card against Preußen Münster on Tuesday. But there is positive news too: players such as Antonios Papadopoulos and Bjarne Pudel returned to the pitch for the first time this year against Münster and Julian Hettwer's suspension has now been served too.

Coach Jan Zimmermann's team will face SC Verl on Saturday, who can look back on an impressive first half of the season. There is now talk of a possible promotion for coach Alexander Ende's team in the town of 25,000 people that the club calls home. But over the winter, top-scorer Oliver Batista-Meier (9 goals and 10 assists) and Mael Corboz (5 goals and 3 assists) departed the club and left a big hole in midfield.

A fresh addition to the team is former BVB player Berkan Taz, who has already injected new momentum into his career once before in Verl. Like in the reverse fixture, former BVB shot-stopper Luca Unbehaun will be in goal for the East Westphalians and is having an impressive season. Their most dangerous forward is Lars Lokotsch: the 1.90-metre-tall centre-forward has already found the net 10 times this term.

Despite their 3-2 defeat in their rescheduled clash against Preußen Münster on Tuesday, BVB can go into their match against SC Verl full of confidence. Borussia have lost only two of their last 12 league games, while Verl have tasted victory just once this calendar year. BVB coach Jan Zimmermann is nonetheless wary of the visitors: "Verl play very courageously, take lots of risks and want to have a lot of the ball. They are always dangerous from set-pieces and from throw-ins too."

Kick-off at Stadion Rote Erde is at 14:00 CET, tickets are available via the Online Ticket Shop and the ticket kiosks at the stadium.