Borussia Dortmund II struggled for a long time against Sportfreunde Lotte. A new signing saved BVB in their first competitive match of 2026.

Borussia Dortmund II salvaged a 1-1 (0-1) draw against Sportfreunde Lotte to kick off Matchday 20 of the Regionalliga West.

Following last weekend’s cancellations, this was the first competitive match of 2026 for both teams. BVB seemed to have made better use of the extended break, taking control from the start and pushing the visitors deep into their own half. This did not lead to any clear chances.

Lotte had less possession but played with more determination and, above all, greater efficiency up front: Following a corner, Sportfreunde took the lead immediately: Dortmund’s Ousmane Diallo unfortunately flicked the ball on to Max Ritter, who headed home unmarked to make it 1-0 (20th min).

The home side remained unfazed and continued to push forward. There, however, they struggled against the well-organized defense of the physical Sportfreunde. The score remained 0-1 at halftime.

Both teams started the second half cautiously, with the hosts still struggling to make any headway up front. It wasn’t until after the hour mark that BVB began to get into the dangerous areas more frequently. However, the necessary finishing touches were missing.

That is, until the 80th minute, when new signing Mario Pejazic, of all people, burst into the penalty area to slam the ball into the net from seven meters out—1-1.

BVB initially played more aggressively, but in the end it was Sportfreunde Lotte who pushed for the win. To no avail—the match ended in a draw.

The other matches of Matchday 20 in the Regionalliga West

Saturday, 2:00 p.m.

Fortuna Köln – Borussia Mönchengladbach II

FC Schalke 04 – Sportfreunde Siegen

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. FC Gütersloh

Sunday, 2 p.m.

1. FC Köln vs. SC Paderborn II

cancelled

SC Wiedenbrück vs. 1. FC Bocholt

SSVg Velbert vs. VfL Bochum II

SV Rödinghausen vs. Wuppertaler SV

Bonner SC vs. Rot-Weiß Oberhausen