Current SituationThe U19 team appears to have weathered the long international break—four weeks without a competitive match—quite well. Following their convincing 5-0 away victory in the Youth League against Bodø/Glimt, the team followed it up just three days later with a 6-2 win against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the DFB Youth League. To manage the workload, Hirschnagl rotated the squad heavily and changed the starting lineup in nearly every position compared to the match in Norway. Only Tom Faust remained in the starting lineup.
These two convincing performances bode well for the next international match on Tuesday against Sabah FK. Following a 2-3 opening-match loss to Villarreal CF and the rout in Norway, BVB currently sits in 13th place. With another win in the Azerbaijani capital, the team could secure a strong starting position for the upcoming challenging matches against Real Betis (November 4), Arsenal FC (November 24), and Inter Milan (December 9). To advance to the Round of 32, BVB must finish the group stage among the top 22 teams.
In addition, the match in Baku is expected to boost confidence ahead of the next domestic challenge: This Saturday, the prestigious derby against FC Schalke 04 is on the schedule in the DFB Youth League.
RosterCompared to the trip to Norway, there are likely to be few changes to Dortmund’s lineup. U23 players Aaron Held, Tim Degener, and Fadi Zarqelain are also expected to be part of the squad again. A decision on whether Hirschnagl will also be able to call upon the first-team players Samuele Inacio, Mathis Albert, Filippo Mané, and Luca Reggiani—who were also registered for the Youth League squad this summer—will be made at the last minute. There was recently positive news regarding Jan-Luca Riedl, who made his comeback in the 6-2 win over Oberhausen after a lengthy injury layoff. Keron Hagemann, who had previously been struggling with health issues, also returned to action in the first half. Peniel Poba, Johann Jaensch, Mats Brauckmann, Amine Leffite, Marwan Mirza, Lenni Strößner, and Luis Alaze remain unavailable due to injury or illness.
OpponentTwo games, zero points, no goals scored: Sabah FK’s start to the UEFA Youth League has been sobering. In their opener in mid-September, they suffered a lopsided 0–5 loss to Manchester United. In their subsequent home game against Slavia Prague, the team from Baku was also left with no chance of earning points in a 0–3 defeat. As a result, the Azerbaijani youth team currently sits in second-to-last place in the 36-team standings. This weak start comes as no surprise. Last season, a team from Azerbaijan already struggled greatly to hold its own at the international youth level. Qarabag Agdam finished the group stage in last place and lost all six matches with a goal difference of minus 29.
Special PraiseDuring the 5-0 victory in Norway, Fadi Zarqelain particularly stood out and received special praise from his coach for his performance. “When we needed him most, he really made a big difference for us,” said Hirschnagl about the forward, who transferred from Hertha BSC to Dortmund in the summer of 2023.
Like Aaron Held and Tim Degener, Zarqelain is actually part of the U23 squad, but he bolstered the U19 team for their Youth League match. With two assists, bold dribbling, and great effort in defensive play, he was one of the most notable players on the artificial turf at Aspmyra Stadium, alongside two-goal scorer Bjarki Gardarsson. The decision to promote the then-17-year-old to the U23s right at the start of the season is increasingly paying off. According to Hirschnagl, Zarqelain has made noticeable progress thanks to the higher demands of the Regionalliga. “Fadi has become tougher in one-on-one situations and is a technically skilled soccer player. He finds spaces that not everyone sees and has made great strides. He takes a lot of risks, and even when something doesn’t work out, he doesn’t lose his composure. He keeps trying. I’m super happy.”