Borussia Dortmund’s U23s face MSV Duisburg in Wuppertal on Sunday (2pm). Important key players could be absent.

Things are tight in the bottom of the 3rd division. Only three points separate 14th and 20th place, which means that big points are possible for Borussia Dortmund’s U23 team when they face MSV Duisburg at Wuppertal’s Stadion am Zoo on Sunday (2 p.m., RS live ticker).

The BVB reserves are currently in second-to-last place, two points below the bottom line. On Monday, they missed out on a 0-0 win in Halle. That is now to be made up for in Bergisches Land, where Dortmund play their next home games.

“It’s all really tight. The aim now is to keep on scoring points,” coach Christian Preußer told the club media ahead of the clash. His U23s have only won two games this season, only one of which came in the last seven matches. But the Borussians have recently gone three games in a row without defeat. Preußer wants to build on that: “We have now started a mini-series. But there is still a lot to work on.”

Things are not really going well for the opponents from Duisburg either. The Zebras have lost four of their last five games. Preußer considers the opponent to be “the most combative team in the league” and explains his match plan: “It’s going to be a real battle and we have to be ready for it. Offensively, we have to be bolder again and create more chances than in Halle. “

However, the 38-year-old is in danger of losing important pillars. According to the club, Antonios Papadopoulos and Soumaila Coulibaly could be needed in the professional squad for the important match against Union Berlin (17.30).

And Franz Pfanne and Michael Eberwein’s appearances are on the line. Offensive man Eberwein was already absent due to injury against Halle, captain Pfanne returned from Saxony-Anhalt with an injury. The duo are among the oldest and most experienced players in the squad. Whether Eberwein and Pfanne will be fit in time will be decided in the short term.