U23s host Waldhof Mannheim | OneFootball

The Borussia Dortmund U23s will host former Bundesliga club SV Waldhof Mannheim at the Rote Erde stadium on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 14:00 CET. BVB will be hoping to get back to winning ways after three straight defeats in recent weeks.

Details and facts on the visitors

SVW are coached by Marco Antwerpen, who comes from the neighbouring town of Unna. In goal is Lucien Hawryluk, a former BVB youth player who played for the Black & Yellows from 2011 to 2019 and was part of the team that won the German U19 Championship in 2019. Since the start of this season, the 1.92-metre Dortmund native has been SV Waldhof's starting goalkeeper. In front of him in central defence is Tim Sichelmann, another U19 German champion. Born in Münster, he joined BVB's U9s back in 2006 and won the title in 2017. The top transfer of the winter, centre-forward Terrence Boyd, also has a Black & Yellow past: he played for the U23s in the 2011/12 season and scored 20 goals in 32 games for the BVB second string.

The "Waldhof boys" have picked up seven points in their last three games and will travel to Dortmund with fresh confidence. Centre-back Malte Karbstein, who has made 23 appearances this season, will not be available on Saturday due to a yellow-card suspension. The top scorer is striker Pascal Sohm, who has scored six goals thus far. New winter signing Boyd has also scored four in the league. In addition to Boyd, Kevin Goden and Martin Kobylanski were signed over the winter break to bolster the team's attack, while Lukas Klünter came in to plug a hole in the defence.

Away from home, Mannheim have picked up just eight points in 14 games this season. Their two road wins came in Münster in September and at Hallescher FC at the end of January. The visitors have scored 14 goals away from home, with only MSV Duisburg and VfB Lübeck scoring fewer.

BVB personnel

BVB coach Jan Zimmermann had more options at his disposal in the last game before the international break. The long-term absentees and greatly-missed attacking players - Paul Besong, Samuel Bamba and Justin Butler - are back in full training, and Guillermo Bueno also made his return for the Black & Yellows in Essen. Jonah Husseck also celebrated his comeback, after more than 18 months out, in the friendly against RW Oberhausen last Friday. The young centre-back last played for BVB's U19s in September 2022. Ayman Azhil has also served his yellow-card suspension. "We now have healthy competition again, so no player can afford to slack off," explained Zimmermann. Goalkeeper Tiago Estevao, midfielder Abdoulaye Kamara and centre-back Felix Irorere are still out injured.

Head-to-head record

BVB's record against Mannheim is positive, with the young Black & Yellows losing only one of their five matches so far. Borussia have won both games under the stewardship of Jan Zimmermann, the reverse fixture in October (3-1) and the home game last season (4-0).

Outlook

Both teams want to win on Saturday, with the visitors aiming to avoid relegation. BVB want to round off their great season and return to winning ways after three straight defeats. The 3-2 friendly win against RW Oberhausen last Friday also gave them confidence. "The game gave us a lot of insight and belief in our processes and style of play. We want to take this momentum into the final spurt of the season. We combined well in build-up and were determined and assertive in the final third," said Zimmermann.

Coach Jan Zimmermann's team only need four points from their remaining eight games to set a new club record in the third tier. The current record dates back to the 2021-22 season, when BVB picked up 48 points.

As the first team won't kick off in Munich until 18:30 CET on Saturday, BVB fans can come to the Rote Erde to support the U23s at 14:00 CET. Tickets are available online and at the box office.

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