Rot-weiss Oberhausen vs Borussia Dortmund

The match started disastrously for a youthful BVB side. In the fifth minute, Oberhausen's Luca Schlax intercepted a loose pass in midfield and slipped Timur Mehmet Kesim through on goal. The RWO forward made no mistake, drilling into the right corner to give the Regionalliga side an early lead.

Dortmund, fielding seven players aged 20 or younger in the starting XI, took time to settle. Niko Kovac's side grew into the contest as the first half progressed. Fabio Silva and Jobe Bellingham both went close, while Luca Reggiani headed wide, but RWO goalkeeper Ryan Valentine held firm.

The equaliser arrived in first-half stoppage time. Mattis Albert's shot was blocked inside the box, but the rebound fell to Ecuadorian debutant Justin Lerma, who reacted quickest to fire home from a tight angle — his first goal in a BVB shirt.

Kovac made 11 substitutions at the break, replacing the entire outfield and goalkeeper. The second half brought a completely different Dortmund side, including new arrivals Takato Yamamoto and Joane Gadou, plus 16-year-old right-back Marwan Mirza.

Serhou Guirassy put BVB ahead in the 55th minute. After 17-year-old academy product Enzo Duarte drove past several defenders, the Guinean striker took the ball on the edge of the box and smashed a right-footed shot into the bottom corner from 13 metres.

Yamamoto sealed the victory in the 78th minute. The 18-year-old, on loan from Gamba Osaka and training with Dortmund for the first time this week, collected a pass from Mirza and finished calmly with his right foot into the bottom left corner.

Guirassy rattled the crossbar late on, but the scoreline remained 3-1.

Kovac's decision to change all 11 players at half-time transformed the game. The first-half XI — a mix of youth-team products and new signings — had struggled with Oberhausen's intensity and pressing. The second-half unit, anchored by Guirassy's experience and the creativity of Yamamoto and Duarte, controlled possession and scored twice within 33 minutes.

Takato Yamamoto (Borussia Dortmund) — Player of the Match. The Japanese teenager scored one goal, created chances for Guirassy, and was the most technically gifted player on the pitch. His composure for the 78th-minute finish — with his weaker right foot — stood out. BVB's official match report noted he was "one of the most eye-catching players in black and yellow."

Justin Lerma (Borussia Dortmund). The 18-year-old Ecuadorian midfield signing scored on his debut with a poacher's finish in first-half stoppage time. He showed sharp instincts to react to the rebound and kept his composure from a tight angle.

Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund). The veteran striker scored the go-ahead goal and hit the crossbar later. His presence gave the second-half XI a focal point that the first half lacked.

Timur Mehmet Kesim (Rot-Weiss Oberhausen). Opened the scoring with a clinical finish in the fifth minute and led the line well for the fourth-tier side, who had already played four pre-season friendlies compared to Dortmund's first.

The provider payload shows four goals from the match, but the underlying story is the split between halves. Dortmund's first XI managed just one goal from limited chances against a well-drilled Oberhausen side that had been in pre-season weeks longer. The second XI, featuring Guirassy and Yamamoto, created more clear-cut chances and scored twice. BVB's 11 half-time substitutions — the entire team — reflects Kovac's priority of giving every available player minutes rather than building continuity. The two yellow cards (N. Winter 44', R. Ritter 84') indicate a clean, competitive friendly with no ill-discipline.

This was Dortmund's first of five away pre-season friendlies before the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. With all of BVB's World Cup participants still on holiday and captain Emre Can sidelined long-term after an ACL injury, Kovac used the match to assess his youngest talents. The debuts of Lerma, Yamamoto, Gadou and 16-year-old Mirza provided early returns.

BVB's next friendly is against Fortuna Düsseldorf, with the marquee pre-season fixture against AS Roma at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on 15 August. For Oberhausen, coached by Sebastian Gunkel, the competitive Regionalliga season begins within two weeks — this runout against Bundesliga opposition was valuable preparation.

A pre-season friendly that delivered exactly what it promised: a youthful Dortmund side tested by a sharp, well-prepared fourth-tier opponent. The two debut goals from Lerma and Yamamoto will make the headlines, but the deeper takeaway is that Kovac has a batch of promising teenagers competing for first-team squad places.

• 5' — T. M. Kesim (assist: L. Schlax) — 1-0
• 45' — J. Lerma — 1-1
• 55' — S. Guirassy (assist: E. Duarte) — 1-2
• 78' — T. Yamamoto — 1-3

Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (first half): Valentine — Knoblauch, Fassnacht, Yalçin, Winter — Nyuydine, Schlax, Niemeyer, Kesim — de Jong, Rivera

Borussia Dortmund (first half): Meyer — Couto, Riedl, Mané, Reggiani, Kabar — Bellingham, Lerma, Wessels, Albert — Silva

Borussia Dortmund (second half): Drewes — Mirza, Gadou, Benkara, Ritter, Adje — Duarte, Azhil, Yamamoto, Inacio — Guirassy

Attendance: 7,359

Venue: Niederrheinstadion, Oberhausen