U23s looking to pick up more points in Duisburg

Borussia Dortmund's U23s, who currently lie fourth in the 3. Liga table, will travel to face 18th-placed MSV Duisburg on Sunday (kick-off: 19:30 CET). Both teams feature players who used to play for the opposition.

BVB have been unbeaten away since the game in Aue last November and have won their last three games on the road. The game in Duisburg is a special one for Julian Hettwer in particular: the 20-year-old BVB forward, who already has six goals and eight assists this season, played for MSV from 2018 onwards and made his debut there in 2021 in the 3. Liga. Last summer, he left the Zebras and since then, he has played an important role in Dortmund coach Jan Zimmermann's attacking line-up. The family of Duisburg-born keeper Marcel Lotka, who was at the academy there until the U14s, still live between the Rhine, Ruhr and Wedau. And assistant coach Julian Koch also has an MSV past: the midfielder, who was once trained at VfL Hörde in the suburbs of Dortmund, moved to Wedau on loan in 2012 after many years in the BVB youth and having joined the first team squad in the summer of 2010. However, he was limited to just 48 appearances for MSV in the 2. Bundesliga and in the cup due to injury. Since last season, he has been back at BVB as assistant coach to Jan Zimmermann.

Duisburg players with a Black & Yellow past

MSV head coach Boris Schommers may have to do without some first-team regulars in the game against BVB. Two attackers in Chinedu Ekeke and Pascal Köpke are out injured. At the back, Schommers has to replace injured defender and top scorer Sebastian Mai (four goals) and Joshua Bitter after a red card. In midfield, two former Borussians, Marvin Bakalorz and Caspar Jander, will both miss the game. Jander played for BVB in the U12s and U13s, while Bakalorz played 84 games for BVB's second representation, and was part of the team who achieved promotion to the 3. Liga in 2012. He even made the first team squad on two occasions. Up front, striker Daniel Ginczek is another former Dortmund man in the squad. The Arnsberg native played for BVB - initially for the U17s - and scored 28 times for the U23s before joining VfL Bochum in 2011. He has just joined the Zebras in January and with his experience of 120 Bundesliga matches, they are hoping for him to provide the goals they desperately need in the fight against relegation. Also new to the team is right-winger Ahmet Engin, who joined Duisburg in the winter. Both new signings have played a part in two goals each in their seven games.

MSV have won only one of their last three home games and have picked up just 14 points from 14 games at home so far this season. Only newly promoted Lübeck and bottom of the table SC Freiburg II have a worse home record, with 12 and seven points respectively. BVB are looking good on the road, having lost only twice (in Saarbrücken and Aue) and have amassed some 21 points from away games so far. With only 16 goals conceded in away matches, the Black & Yellows continue to have one of the league's best back lines.

Good head-to-head record for BVB

On Matchday 31 of last season, BVB's second string travelled to Wedau, winning 5-0 in the last meeting between the sides. Going into that game, MSV were five points above Dortmund. It was the second away win in a row and saw coach Jan Zimmermann's side jump out of the relegation zone. The overall head-to-head record also clearly speaks in BVB's favour, with the Black and Yellows picking up seven wins from nine games with an aggregate score of 21-9. BVB have kept clean sheets in each of the last three meetings between the sides. MSV won both meetings in the season when the U23s were relegated (2014/15). No game between the two sides has ever finished in a draw.

BVB head coach Jan Zimmermann still has to make do without nine players, with no fresh faces expected to return on Sunday. It remains to be seen which players will travel with the first team to the away game at Union Berlin on Saturday and thus could not be available for the U23s on the Sunday.

Kick-off in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena will be at 19:30 CET on Sunday 3 March. Tickets for the away section are available online on the MSV website and at the box office.