Borussia Dortmund II vs Jong Utrecht

Dortmund II's second goal just before half-time proved decisive. Having weathered some early pressure, the German side doubled their lead late in the first half, leaving Jong Utrecht facing a two-goal deficit after the restart. The Dutch side never recovered, conceding twice more in quick succession after the break.

Individual performer data was not published for this pre-season friendly. However, the collective output — five goals from open play — points to a strong attacking display from the BVB second string, who had scored only twice in their previous three pre-season outings combined (0-0 vs Dordrecht, 0-1 vs Vitesse, 3-3 vs Nürnberg II).

Dortmund II's pre-season form had been modest before this fixture. A 0-0 draw with Dordrecht (14 July) and a 1-0 loss to Vitesse (11 July) had yielded just one goal in three games this summer, with the 3-3 draw against Nürnberg II dating back to a January camp. The five-goal explosion against Jong Utrecht therefore represents a clear step up in attacking output, even if the level of opposition is a factor.

Jong Utrecht, for their part, arrived in Dortmund having lost their only previous pre-season friendly 2-1 to Werder Bremen II on 3 July. This defeat extended their winless run in pre-season to two matches.

For Borussia Dortmund II, the result provides a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the 2026-27 Regionalliga West campaign. After a series of goalless draws and narrow defeats, scoring five goals in one match will reassure manager Jan Zimmermann that his side's attacking patterns are sharpening at the right time.

Jong Utrecht continue their preparations for the Eerste Divisie season, where they will aim to improve on their mid-table finish in 2025-26. The heavy defeat serves as a reminder of the gap between Dutch and German reserve football.

Neither club's next pre-season fixture was announced at the time of writing.

A one-sided friendly that told us more about Dortmund II's attacking potential than about Utrecht's weaknesses. The German side's five-goal haul was their best attacking output of pre-season by a significant margin, and the scoreline accurately reflected the balance of play. For betting purposes, Dortmund II's sudden uptick in goalscoring form is worth monitoring ahead of their competitive season opener.