Borussia Dortmund's Youngsters Shine in Premier League International Cup
Daniel Rios took a bold squad to London. Mostly U23s, sprinkled with a touch of youth and a dash of experience. From the U19s, Luke Fahrenhorst and Jan-Luca Riedl stepped up. Around them, Mathis Albert, Kaua Prates, Luca Reggiani and Justin Lerma added the know-how of players who already know what professional football feels like.
It looked like the right blend. It just needed a jolt.
Early punch, sharp response
That jolt came early. After only four minutes, Borussia Dortmund’s youngsters were already asking questions of Fulham’s defence, buzzing around the home penalty area. Then, out of nowhere, they were behind.
A Fulham corner, a near-post run, and Jose Sani rose first. His header beat Silas Ostrzinski in the fifth minute. One chance, one goal. BVB’s first Premier League International Cup outing of the season had started with a slap in the face.
The reaction was immediate. The visitors took the ball and, slowly but firmly, took the game. Fulham dropped deep, content to protect their lead. Dortmund, for a spell, struggled to pick the lock. Their build-up lacked precision, the final pass not quite there.
But the direction of travel was clear. Fulham’s forays forward dried up. BVB’s pressure grew.
The breakthrough came with quality. In the 25th minute, Albert picked his head up and sliced Fulham open with a superb long pass. Fadi Zarqelain timed his run, controlled the moment and buried the finish for a fully deserved equaliser.
Fulham wobbled. Dortmund pounced.
Just three minutes later, Albert turned from provider to scorer. A misplaced pass from the English side fell at his feet about 17 metres from goal. No hesitation. One touch, one clean strike, and the ball was in. The comeback was complete before the half-hour mark.
From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, and BVB walked into the dressing room in control.
Second-half dominance
The restart brought no change in pattern. Rios’s side stepped back onto the pitch as if they still had a point to prove. They hunted the third goal, pressing high, forcing Fulham into mistakes, pinning them back.
The pressure told on 52 minutes. Takato Yamamoto swung in a corner, Jesper Verlaat attacked it and powered his header over the line for 3-1. Simple, direct, ruthless.
Fulham were reeling now, and Dortmund sensed it.
Five minutes later, Justin Lerma delivered the goal of the night. A brilliant solo run, slicing through the defence, finished with composure to make it 4-1 to the Black & Yellows. A moment of individual class in a collective performance.
The only blemish: Lerma had to leave the pitch injured shortly afterwards. His departure took some of the sting out of BVB’s attacking play, but not their control.
Fulham tried to respond, but Ostrzinski dealt calmly with the one real chance that came his way late on. At the other end, Dortmund kept creating. Captain Azhil went close in the 82nd minute, Degener threatened in stoppage time (90+1'), and Ngambia almost added a fifth deep into added time (90+5').
The scoreline stayed at 4-1, but the gap in maturity and conviction between the sides felt even larger.
Rios satisfied with statement win
Rios had every reason to be content with what he saw. His side had fallen behind early, then taken the game by the throat and never let go.
“Overall, it was a deserved win for us, also because the team responded well after going behind early and turned the game around. We controlled the match over the full 90 minutes and created lots of chances. I'm delighted that in this line-up we delivered such a great performance against Fulham,” said the head coach.
It was exactly the kind of response a development coach wants: resilience after a setback, control with the ball, and a ruthless edge in the final third.
And it brought the perfect start to their Premier League International Cup defence: three points, four goals, and a clear message.
What’s next for BVB’s youth ranks
The schedule doesn’t slow down. Borussia Dortmund’s U19s are next in action on 5 September in the DFB youth round against Rot-Weiss Essen (11:00, training ground in Brackel). The U23s head into Regionalliga West duty away to VfB Hilden on 29 August (14:00).
On the international stage, though, there is now a pause. BVB’s youngsters will not return to Premier League International Cup action until 15 December, when Aston Villa await as their second group-stage opponents.
If this opening night in London is any indication, that date is already circled in a few English academies.
