Vitesse vs Borussia Dortmund II

Probst, the 25-year-old German striker who joined Vitesse on 7 July, needed just 12 minutes to open his account for the club. He finished from close range after a promising build-up, slotting past the Dortmund II goalkeeper to make it 1-0 inside the opening quarter-hour.

That goal proved the difference in a tight contest. Vitesse manager Rüdiger Rehm used the fixture to trial a new tactical system, with the Dutch side controlling possession but unable to add a second before the interval. The score remained 1-0 at half-time.

Both sides made changes after the break — a common feature of pre-season run-outs — and the second half passed without further goals. No cards were issued across the 90 minutes, reflecting the friendly nature of the encounter.

Probst's 12th-minute strike was the decisive moment. The German frontman, a free-agent arrival from the German lower leagues, was handed an immediate start and justified the decision with a poacher's finish. RTV Connect reported that Rehm was trialling a new formation, and the early goal gave the coach the platform to experiment for the remaining 78 minutes without chasing the game.

Eduard Probst (Vitesse) — The new signing needed fewer than 15 minutes to make his mark. De Gelderlander described him as "direct trefzeker" (immediately on target), and his movement in the box was a persistent threat. One goal from one start is the ideal return for a striker building fitness.

Rüdiger Rehm (Vitesse manager) — The German coach used the fixture to implement a new system, per RTV Connect. The clean sheet and early goal suggest the defensive structure held up, even if the attacking fluency beyond Probst's strike needs more work.

No single Dortmund II player stood out in a match where the visitors created few clear chances, though the German side's resistance after the early goal kept the margin respectable.

Pre-season friendlies rarely produce detailed xG or shot data on public record, but the pattern is clear from the timeline: a single goal inside the first 15 minutes, then a controlled but uneventful remainder. Vitesse's 56.87% pre-match win probability (per Sports Mole) translated into the 1-0 scoreline that was the second-most likely single result (8.95% probability). The match's under-1.5 goals outcome (19.63% probability) was an outlier — friendlies at this stage of pre-season often see more goals as fitness levels rise, but this one stayed tight.

Vitesse's pre-season programme continues on 15 July against Belgian side STVV, followed by a fixture against Al-Jazira Club on 18 July. Borussia Dortmund II, meanwhile, faced FC Dordrecht three days later on 14 July, losing 4-1. The Arnhem side are building towards the 2026/27 Eerste Divisie campaign, with Rehm's tactical tweaks — including the system deployed here — likely to take fuller shape over the coming weeks.

A functional pre-season win for Vitesse, defined by one moment of quality from a new signing. Probst's early goal gave Rehm the freedom to experiment, and the clean sheet will please a coach installing a new system. Dortmund II will hope for sharper attacking output in their remaining friendlies, but the result itself matters less than the match fitness gained.