Borussia Dortmund began their pre-season campaign with a 3-1 victory over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, a fourth-tier side from the Regionalliga West, with new signing Takato Yamamoto among the scorers.
The Japanese midfielder, who joins Dortmund’s youth team on a one-year loan deal from Gamba Osaka, found the net late in the match after a well-worked combination with 16-year-old Marawan Omir Mirza.
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen took an early lead after capitalizing on a clearance from Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer, but the Bundesliga side responded before half-time through Justin Lerma, who scored on his debut for the club.
Lerma’s equalizer came after an initial effort from US youth international Mathis Albert was deflected into his path, leveling the score before the interval.
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac fielded a completely different team in the second half, giving French player Joane Gadou his first appearance for the club.
Serhou Guirassy extended Dortmund’s lead ten minutes into the second half, demonstrating his familiar goalscoring ability, before Yamamoto’s late strike secured the win.
Dortmund’s pre-season preparations are being impacted by the involvement of eleven players at the World Cup, forcing Kovac to integrate several youth players into the squad.
Jobe Bellingham and Fabio Silva both started the first 45 minutes, alongside Italian trio Filippo Mane, Luca Reggiani, and Samuele Inacio.
Brazilian Yan Couto, who is widely expected to depart the club during the current transfer window, also featured in the first half, contributing to a team that featured players from fourteen different nationalities.
Dortmund will continue their pre-season schedule with a trip to Japan, where they are scheduled to face Cerezo Osaka and FC Tokyo.
Following their time in Japan, the team will participate in the Emirates Cup, taking on Arsenal and AS Roma, before commencing their competitive campaign with the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Bayern Munich.
