Borussia Dortmund’s Youngsters Shine in Premier League International Cup

Daniel Rios took his kids to London – and they grew up quickly.

For the Premier League International Cup clash with Fulham’s youth side, the Borussia Dortmund coach leaned heavily on his U23 group, fleshing out the squad with U19 talents Luke Fahrenhorst and Jan-Luca Riedl. Around them, there was real senior know-how: Mathis Albert, Kaua Prates, Luca Reggiani and Justin Lerma, all already tested at professional level, gave the line-up a hardened edge.

Early shock, rapid response

The visitors needed only four minutes to show their intent. BVB’s youngsters carved out the first serious threat of the night, swarming the Fulham box and setting an early tone.

Then came the sting.

From Fulham’s first corner, striker Jose Sani darted to the near post and glanced his header past Silas Ostrzinski in the fifth minute. One chance, one goal. Dortmund were behind before they had settled.

The setback jolted Rios’s side into life. Step by step, they took the ball, then took the game. Fulham dropped deep, bodies behind the ball, content to defend in numbers. Dortmund, though, initially stumbled in the build-up, struggling to slice through the compact English block.

The direction of travel was clear. Fulham’s forays forward dried up. BVB’s didn’t.

On 25 minutes, the pressure finally told. Albert, already dictating from deep, picked his head up and threaded a superb long pass in behind. Fadi Zarqelain timed his run and finished clinically for the equaliser – a goal that had been coming.

Fulham barely had time to reset.

Just three minutes later, Albert turned from provider to executioner. A sloppy pass out from the home side dropped straight to him around 17 metres from goal. He didn’t hesitate, stroking the ball into the net and flipping the scoreline. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up in 180 seconds – the holders had taken control, and they carried that advantage into the break.

Champions turn the screw

The second half picked up exactly where the first had ended: black and yellow shirts pouring forward.

Rios’s team went hunting for a third, and they didn’t have to wait long. In the 52nd minute, Takato Yamamoto whipped in a corner and Jesper Verlaat rose to meet it, powering his header over the line for 3-1. A set piece, ruthlessly executed.

Fulham were reeling now, and Dortmund sensed it.

Five minutes later, Justin Lerma produced the game’s standout moment. Picking up the ball, he drove at the defence, weaving through challenges before finishing with authority to make it 4-1. A brilliant solo effort, the kind that rips the belief out of an opponent.

The joy was tempered quickly. Lerma, having just lit up the contest, was forced off injured shortly after his goal. A blow for player and coach alike on an otherwise near-perfect evening.

Fulham did carve out a chance of their own late on, but Ostrzinski stood firm, dealing with the effort and preserving the three-goal cushion.

At the other end, Dortmund could have added gloss. Captain Azhil went close in the 82nd minute, Degener threatened in stoppage time (90+1'), and Ngambia had a final look at 90+5'. The scoreline stayed at four, but it could easily have been heavier.

Rios: “A deserved win”

Daniel Rios cut a satisfied figure afterwards, and with good reason. His side had fallen behind early, then calmly dismantled their hosts.

“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 mature reaction he wanted from a group built around youth but laced with experience.

What comes next

There is little time to bask in the glow of London.

Borussia Dortmund’s U19s now turn their attention to Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB youth round on 5 September (11:00, training ground in Brackel). The U23s, meanwhile, head to VfB Hilden in the Regionalliga West on 29 August (14:00), another test of their growing consistency.

As for the Premier League International Cup, the holders will park that competition for a while. Their next group-stage assignment does not arrive until 15 December, when Aston Villa await as the second opponents.

If this opening display is any indication, that date is already circled in black and yellow.