Why AS Roma is the perfect test for BVB Form curve: From a stuttering start to a strong finish Borussia Dortmund has played five preseason friendlies so far this season – with mixed performances and results. After a strong start against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (3-1), the team suffered its first defeat, a 1-2 loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf. In addition to the long-term injured Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck, all World Cup participants were also absent from the two friendlies, forcing head coach Niko Kovac to rely on players from the U23 and U19 teams. Despite the return of five World Cup participants during the BVB Evonik Japan Tour, the squad was still not at full strength; Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, Ramy Bensebaini, and Marcel Sabitzer were still missing from the lineup against Cerezo Osaka (0–1) and FC Tokyo (1–0). Last Sunday, however, the Black and Yellows made a statement. Borussia Dortmund defeated English champions Arsenal FC 3–2. “We’ve made progress,” Kovac summed up afterward. He was particularly impressed by the first two goals, one of which was scored by summer signing Kosta Karetsas in his first game for BVB: “The first two goals were beautifully worked.” The German runners-up are now training with a full squad, with the exception of the injured players. Gregor Kobel and Julian Ryerson were the last to return to team training.
The opponent: Champions League returnees from Rome Following Arsenal, AS Roma is the next major test awaiting Borussia. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team finished the previous Serie A season in third place and is thus returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2018–19. Gasperini is known for intense, tactically sophisticated soccer. However, the Italians have recently had to cope with several setbacks during preseason. They suffered a 1-4 loss to Cardiff City, followed by a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Gasperini subsequently described the team’s condition publicly as “significantly behind schedule.” At the same time, the team boasts individual talent: skillful players like Matias Soulé and Paulo Dybala provide creativity. Former Borussia Dortmund player Donyell Malen scored 14 goals in 18 Serie A matches following his transfer this past winter and was Roma’s top offensive player in the second half of the season. Manu Koné (formerly of Gladbach), Evan Ndicka (formerly of Frankfurt), and summer signing Konstantinos Koulierakis (formerly of Wolfsburg) are also familiar faces from the Bundesliga and have already taken the field against BVB. The Newcomers: Karetsas, Gadou, and Co. Are Making Their Mark New signings traditionally take center stage at the start of the season. Justin Lerma, Joane Gadou, Takato Yamamoto, Konstantinos Karetsas, and Kaua Prates have already made their mark in the preseason friendlies. Center back Joane Gadou (19) has been able to participate in the entire preseason from day one and even earned special praise from Coach Kovac after the Arsenal friendly, who described his performance in the heart of the defense as “very good.” Midfielder Kosta Karetsas (18) scored a spectacular goal with a curling shot into the corner during his first BVB appearance in London.
The other new signings, Justin Lerma (18) and Takato Yamamoto (18), have each already scored a goal for BVB and thus drawn attention to themselves. While Lerma was signed specifically for the first team, Yamamoto is currently still playing as a player for the U23s while training with the first team. After the successful match against Arsenal, BVB Sporting Director Lars Ricken expressed his delight at the strong performances of the new players, but emphasized at the same time: “It only works if the experienced players around them also deliver. They did just that. Then the young players can shine alongside them and make their mark.” The question marks: stability and playing time The victory over the Gunners in London demonstrated the potential of the new team. Now the focus is on bringing more consistency to their performances. “We’ve got a good group of lads, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Kovac. Added to this is the integration of the national team players who returned later. Gregor Kobel and Julian Ryerson were also absent against Arsenal and have not yet played in a preseason match. The season opener is therefore not only a day of celebration for the Black and Yellows, but also an important opportunity to assess where the team stands.