Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC drew 2:2 in the semi-final first leg of the U19 German championship.
With a 17 (!) point lead, Borussia Dortmund’s U19s became West German champions and qualified for the semi-finals of the German championship, where their opponents were Hertha BSC. The Berliners prevailed in a duel with VfL Wolfsburg in the U19 Bundesliga North/Northeast and were also crowned champions.
The first leg between BVB and Hertha then took place in Dortmund on Thursday evening. In an intense match, the two teams drew 2:2 (1:0) in front of 1,000 spectators, meaning that everything is still wide open for the second leg.
But first things first: In an even opening phase, BVB took the lead with the first goal: Paris Brunner hit the inside of the post and Cole Campbell only had to slot in from close range – 1:0 (11th).
No further goals were scored until the break: BVB had the slightly better chances, which is why the narrow lead at the break was justifiable
Hertha had a lot of possession in the second half, while BVB were on the lookout for counter-attacks. However, the home side then played too passively – and were punished in the 68th minute:
After a corner was initially cleared, Lukas Michelbrink crossed precisely from half-field to striker Oliver Rölke, who headed the ball into the far corner. A perfect header!
There was another scare for Dortmund in the closing stages. Super talent Paris Brunner had to be substituted with an injury in the 78th minute. After that, an absolutely wild finish developed: First, substitute Karim Bellomo turned the game around for the visitors from close range (88′), but then Charles Herrmann had the right answer (90′) and scored from a corner to make the final score 2:2.
The young Dortmund team will continue on Whit Monday (May 20, 11 a.m.) with the second leg in Berlin. There they will play for a place in the final. Borussia Mönchengladbach and TSG Hoffenheim will face off in the other semi-final.
After Hoffenheim’s 6:2 victory in the first leg, one of the finalists is almost certain