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 at the start of the 20th matchday of the Regionalliga West.

After last weekend’s cancellations, it was the first competitive game 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. However, this did not lead to any clear chances. Lotte had less possession but were more determined and, above all, more efficient going forward. The Sportfreunde took the lead directly from a corner: Dortmund’s Ousmane Diallo unluckily deflected the ball to Max Ritter, who was unmarked and headed home to make it 1-0 (20′).

The home side remained unfazed and continued to push forward. However, they found themselves frustrated by the well-organized defense of the physical Sportfreunde. The score remained 0-1 at half-time.

Both teams started the second half cautiously, with the hosts continuing to struggle to make any headway up front. It was only after more than an hour that BVB began to get into more dangerous areas more frequently. However, they failed to convert their chances.

That was until the 80th minute, when new signing Mario Pejazic came rushing into the penalty area to smash the ball into the net from seven meters out – 1-1.

BVB initially played more offensively, but in the end it was Sportfreunde Lotte who pushed for the win. Without success – the game ended in a draw.

The other matches on the 20th matchday of the Regionalliga West

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Fortuna Cologne – Borussia Mönchengladbach II

FC Schalke 04 – Sportfreunde Siegen

Fortuna Düsseldorf – FC Gütersloh

Sunday, 2 p.m.

1 FC Cologne – SC Paderborn II

cancelled

SC Wiedenbrück – 1. FC Bocholt

SSVg Velbert – VfL Bochum II

SV Rödinghausen – Wuppertaler SV

Bonner SC – Rot-Weiß Oberhausen