Borussia Dortmund Youngsters Dominate Fulham in London Opener

Daniel Rios sent a youthful Borussia Dortmund squad into London and watched them grow into the game – and the competition – in the space of 90 minutes.

With the bulk of the side drawn from the U23s, the coach also called up U19 duo Luke Fahrenhorst and Jan-Luca Riedl, while Mathis Albert, Kaua Prates, Luca Reggiani and Justin Lerma added a layer of professional experience to the travelling group. On paper, it looked like a developmental outing. On the pitch, it turned into a statement.

Early punch, rapid response

Dortmund’s youngsters needed barely four minutes to show their intent, carving out the first threat in front of the Fulham goal. The hosts didn’t blink. From their very first real opening, they struck.

A Fulham corner whipped to the near post found striker Jose Sani, whose header beat Silas Ostrzinski in the fifth minute. One chance, one goal, and Dortmund were behind before they had settled.

The setback jolted Rios’s side into life. They began to squeeze higher, but the next phase belonged to frustration. Fulham sat deep, shut down passing lanes and forced BVB into awkward build-up patterns, with little space to pierce the English back line.

Gradually, the rhythm changed. Fulham’s forays forward grew rare, while Dortmund’s confidence on the ball grew with every pass. The equaliser felt inevitable; it arrived with style.

Albert, already dictating from deep, picked his moment. His precise long ball split the defence, and in the 25th minute Fadi Zarqelain finished clinically for a deserved 1-1. The momentum flipped – and Dortmund didn’t wait long to cash in.

Just three minutes later, the lively Albert pounced on a misplaced Fulham pass about 17 metres from goal. One touch to set, one to strike. Low, assured, and into the net. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up in 180 seconds, the visitors walked into the break in control.

Verlaat and Lerma kill the contest

The pattern after the restart barely changed. Dortmund stepped back onto the pitch as if the first half had never ended, immediately hunting the third goal that would all but end the contest.

The pressure told on 52 minutes. Takato Yamamoto swung in a corner, Jesper Verlaat attacked it and forced the ball over the line for 3-1. A simple set piece, a huge cushion.

Fulham wobbled. Dortmund smelled blood.

Five minutes later, Justin Lerma produced the game’s standout individual moment. Picking up the ball and driving at the heart of the defence, he weaved through challenges and finished with authority to make it 4-1 to the Black & Yellows. A brilliant solo run, a ruthless conclusion.

The only sour note: Lerma soon had to leave the pitch with an injury, cutting short an outstanding display.

Champions show their maturity

From there, the title holders managed the game with a calmness that belied their age. Fulham carved out a chance of their own late on, but Ostrzinski handled it cleanly and refused to let the hosts back in.

At the other end, Dortmund still carved out enough opportunities to stretch the scoreline. Captain Azhil went close in the 82nd minute, Degener threatened in stoppage time (90+1'), and Ngambia almost added a fifth in the 90+5'. The result was never in doubt.

Rios saw exactly what he wanted: a young side rattled early, then composed enough to turn the game and dominate it.

“Overall, it was a deserved win for us, also because the team responded well after going behind early and turned the game around. We controlled the match over the full 90 minutes and created lots of chances. I'm delighted that in this line-up we delivered such a great performance against Fulham,” the head coach said.

Three points, four goals, and a convincing answer after an early punch. Dortmund’s youngsters have planted their flag in this season’s Premier League International Cup – and Aston Villa, their next group-stage opponents in December, will have taken note.