Borussia Dortmund won this year’s U19 derby against FC Schalke. After the game, there was praise – but also a little dig from BVB coach Mike Tullberg.

No derby in the Bundesliga. No derby in the regional league. With its first two teams, Borussia Dortmund is currently one league ahead of FC Schalke 04.

Only in the youth leagues are there still derbies between royal blue and black and yellow. BVB won the highest-ranked match in the U19 division 2:1 (1:0) in front of 770 fans at the Parkstadion on Wednesday evening. The goals for Dortmund were scored by Paris Brunner and Kjell-Arik Wätjen. For Schalke, substitute Edion Gashi reduced the deficit ten minutes before the end after Bilal Brusdeilins had missed a penalty for Schalke shortly beforehand.

BVB thus cemented their supremacy in the A-Junior Bundesliga West. The lead over S04 is now twelve points after 17 games. No wonder Dortmund coach Mike Tullberg was satisfied after the game. “We hadn’t won against them with the U17s. And they’ve won the West German championship twice with the U17s. That’s why it was hard work,” explained Tullberg after the game. What he means is that the same players had already played against each other in the U17s around a year ago.

Tullberg summarized the status quo: “17 games, one defeat.”

Nevertheless, it was a hard-fought victory: “It wasn’t our game, given the conditions,” said Tullberg. They were only partially on a par with their opponents in terms of physicality. “They were a step ahead of us,” said the BVB coach.

This time we needed luck and a good goalkeeper

Mike Tullberg

His addition: “It was a tough battle, a somewhat fortunate win, and deserved because of the first 30 minutes in the second half. But we wouldn’t have been able to complain if it had ended in a draw. Schalke were better for the first 25 minutes and the last 15 minutes too.” His conclusion: “This time we needed luck and a good goalkeeper.”

This means that the Black & Yellows under Tullberg are probably unstoppable on their way to their third consecutive West German championship. “I started here four years ago. The first season was canceled when we were in first place. Then – if we make it now – we’ll be West German champions three times in a row. I don’t think that’s ever happened for Borussia Dortmund,” he said.

And then he sent a little tip in the direction of S04: “I think Schalke had that 30 or 40 years ago, I don’t know exactly when.” The conditions in the region have also changed significantly for the U19s due to the significantly different financial starting conditions