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 managed to salvage a 1-1 (0-1) draw against Sportfreunde Lotte to kick off Matchday 20 of the Regionalliga West.

Following the cancellations last weekend, 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 pinning the visitors deep in their own half. However, this did not lead to any clear scoring chances.

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

The home team remained unfazed and continued to push forward. There, however, they were stymied by the well-organized defense of the physically imposing Sportfreunde. The score remained 0-1 at halftime.

Both teams started the second half cautiously, and the hosts continued to struggle to create anything up front. It wasn’t until after the hour mark that BVB began to find their way into the more dangerous areas more frequently. However, they failed to create the necessary scoring chances.

That is, until the 80th minute, when new signing Mario Pejazic—of all people—burst into the penalty area and slammed 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 Cologne – Borussia Mönchengladbach II

FC Schalke 04 – Sportfreunde Siegen

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. FC Gütersloh

Sunday, 2:00 p.m.

1. FC Köln vs. SC Paderborn II

canceled

SC Wiedenbrück vs. 1. FC Bocholt

SSVg Velbert vs. VfL Bochum II

SV Rödinghausen vs. Wuppertaler SV

Bonner SC vs. Rot-Weiß Oberhausen