U19s to face RW Essen in last game of the Bundesliga season | OneFootball

In terms of the league table, the BVB U19s have nothing to play for on Saturday (30 April) when they host fifth-placed RW Essen at the club's youth performance centre. Ahead of the final round of fixtures, the Black & Yellows' status as West German Champions is already guaranteed. But coach Mike Tullberg has nonetheless set his team ambitious goals for their final league game of the season: ''We want to end the season unbeaten.''

In this season affected by Covid, which was held in a single round of fixtures, BVB have set new standards. In their 15 matches thus far, the Black & Yellows have notched up 13 wins and registered an incredible goals scored/conceded ratio of 53:7. The only points dropped by the team led by captain Dennis Lütke-Frie came at the end of two energy-sapping English weeks (a 1-1 draw with MSV Duisburg and a 0-0 stalemate with Viktoria Cologne). Julian Rijkhoff is the team's leading scorer (15 goals), closely followed by striking partner Bradley Fink (12). It would be hard for them to perform any better. Nonetheless, Mike Tullberg still says: ''We can be proud of this Bundesliga season and have deservedly been crowned west German champions. Now we want our final game to go well so that we can start preparing for the next big tasks ahead.''

The clash with RWE will also be a dress rehearsal for the upcoming semi-finals of the German championship. Late on Saturday afternoon, it will also be decided who will finish second in the table and thus be Borussia's opponent. FC Schalke 04, currently in second place with 33 points, have a weekend off and will have to hope that Leverkusen (31) do not win their home match against SC Paderborn. Bayer need a win to overtake the team from Gelsenkirchen. Whatever the outcome of the battle for the runners-up spot, the Black & Yellows will have home advantage in the first semi-final on Saturday, 7 May (kick-off 11:00 CET), and will play away at the team that finishes second on Sunday, 15 May (kick-off also 11:00 CET).

Samuel Bamba and Dennis Lütke-Frie out injured

After Mike Tullberg almost didn't have a complete XI to choose from in the 3-0 win away to SV Rödinghausen in the Westfalenpokal semi-final, the personnel situation has now improved somewhat. He will not be able to name his final squad until Friday evening, when he will know which players Marco Rose has called up for the first-team squad. In any case, Dennis Lütke-Frie will have to sit out with a groin injury, while Samuel Bamba is sidelined with a thigh injury. Michel Ludwig has come to the fore in recent weeks and has been a worthy replacement for Dennis Lütke-Frie. Tullberg is not planning to field Bradley Fink, who is expected to play for the U23s.

Either way, Tullberg expects his side to deliver a focused and serious performance against a strong opponent. "We should go into the knock-out games with a good feeling," says Mike Tullberg. A win on Saturday would be the perfect way to set the right tone. (wiwi)