Ansgar Knauff and Steffen Tigges got Marco Rose's tenure as Borussia Dortmund head coach off to a winning start in BVB's pre-season opener against Gießen.

GIESSEN 0-2 DORTMUND
Goals: 0-1 Knauff (34'), 0-2 Tigges (42')

Rose was without star striker Erling Haaland and a whole host of first-team regulars at the Waldstadion, but those involved from the off made all the difference in a competitive first half. Julian Brandt was everywhere against the fourth-tier hosts, dropping deep and combining to great effect with captain Marco Reus. The pair were involved time and again in the final third, before a driving Brandt run set up Knauff to sweep home from inside the box. Brandt combined with Mahmoud Dahoud moments later, with Tigges skilfully rolling his man to finish the move with aplomb.

Rose made a full line change for the start of the second half, electing to leave USA international Gio Reyna on the bench in favour of a team comprising U19 and reserve players. Dortmund’s next generation dominated proceedings in front of the 4,000-strong crowd, with Tobias Raschl and Richmond Tachie catching the eye. Gießen threatened sporadically through substitute Aykut Öztürk, but BVB created the clearest openings as Tachie had a goal ruled out and drove wide from inside the hosts’ penalty box. Having already tested the Gießen goalkeeper twice, Raschl almost put the icing on the cake with virtually the last kick of game, but his effort was hooked clear in front of the goal-line.

Watch: Find out what Dortmund have to look forward to in 2021/22

Match stats

• Knauff registered a goal and assist in four Bundesliga appearances last season.
• Tigges made seven senior appearances for the BVB first team in 2020/21.
• Eleven Dortmund players, spread over six nations, were involved at this summer's Euros.
• Rose took charge of 88 competitive matches in his two seasons as Borussia Mönchengladbach coach, overseeing fourth- and eighth-placed Bundesliga finishes.
• Reus is embarking on his 10th season with the Dortmund senior team. He has tallied 140 goals and 96 assists in 315 appearances for the club.
• There were 63 places on the German football pyramid between Dortmund and Gießen at the end of 2020/21.

Line-ups

Gießen: Löhe (Grbovic 46') - Gaudermann, Takehara (Scrudato 54’), Reithmeir, Münn, Trkulja (c) (Bogicevic 77') - M. Fink, Fischer, Ibrahimaj - Burgio (Öztürk 46'), Daghfous (Mohr 76')
Unused subs: Unavailable
Out: -
Coach: Daniyel Cimen

Dortmund: Hitz (Unbehaun 46’) - Passlack (Raschl 46’), Collins (Finnsson 46’), Thaqi (Papadopoulos 46’), Schulz (Pherai 46’) - Gürpuz (Hippe 46’), Dahoud (Bornemann 46’) (Tattermusch 79') - Knauff (Pfanne 46’), Brandt (Taz 46’), Reus (c) (Tachie 46’) - Tigges (Makreckis 46’)
Unused subs: Klußmann, Reyna, Dams
Out: Coulibaly (knee), Morey (knee), Moukoko (match fitness), Reinier (unavailable), Schmelzer (knee), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose

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AS IT HAPPENED!

GIESSEN 0-2 DORTMUND
Goals: 0-1 Knauff (34'), 0-2 Tigges (42')
Gießen: Löhe (Grbovic 46') - Gaudermann, Takehara (Scrudato 54’), Reithmeir, Münn, Trkulja (c) (Bogicevic 77') - M. Fink, Fischer, Ibrahimaj - Burgio (Öztürk 46'), Daghfous (Mohr 76')
Dortmund: Hitz (Unbehaun 46’) - Passlack (Raschl 46’), Collins (Finnsson 46’), Thaqi (Papadopoulos 46’), Schulz (Pherai 46’) - Gürpuz (Hippe 46’), Dahoud (Bornemann 46’) (Tattermusch 79') - Knauff (Pfanne 46’), Brandt (Taz 46’), Reus (c) (Tachie 46’) - Tigges (Makreckis 46’)

FULL TIME! GIESSEN 0-2 DORTMUND

Deserved win for Dortmund, with those quick-fire first-half goals doing the damage. There were some impressive showings from some of the younger players in the second half, too. Rose starts as he means to go on!

89' OFF THE LINE!

Raschl jinks forward, the keeper slides out and missed the ball, but a Gießen defender is on hand to clear in front of goal.

84' TASCHIE!

The Dortmund forward has the ball in the net following a free-kick, but it's ruled out - possibly for an infringement in the build-up. BVB come again, with that man Tachie dragging wide from the right-hand side of the area. He looks handy...

80' ROCK 'N' RASCHL

Raschl dances his way through the Gießen defence, but his final one-two is heavy and Grbovic is able to smother. Superb footwork from the 21-year-old midfielder, who made his only Bundesliga appearance to date on the final day of the 2019/20 season.

78' BIG CHANCE!

It's Öztürk again for Gießen. He holds off two Dortmund defenders as he turns to face goal, but whips the his shot the wrong side of the far post.

75' WON'T COUNT!

Moments after Pherai fires wide and Taz goes close for Dortmund, Gießen have the ball in the net. The strike is ruled out for offside, though.

72' HALF CHANCE!

Gießen show some clever touches in and around the BVB area. Gaudermann swings in a ball from the right, but Öztürk sends his acrobatic effort over.

70' CLOSE!

Makreckis travels a long way with the ball. The shot is on as he approaches the edge of the Gießen area, but he elects to play in Tachie to his right and a defender is able to get in a recovery challenge.

68' OFFSIDE!

Raschl and Pherai breach the Gießen defence. There are men over, but the flag goes up for a marginal offside against the rampaging Pherai.

62' OUT TO IMPRESS

You have to admire how well Dortmund's youngsters are playing, particularly as an attacking unit. The likes of Tachie and Raschl are doing their hopes of breaking into the first team no harm at all...

58' TACHIE THREAT

Berlin-born Richmond Tachie is causing Gießen problems on the left-hand side of the Dortmund attack. The 22-year-old produced 11 goals and four assists in 40 appearances for the BVB reserves in Germany's fourth tier last season.

47' RASCHL!

Dortmund's youngsters have made a positive start. They're moving the ball really effectively, with Raschl smashing over at the end of one such move just now.

46' DORTMUND LINE CHANGE

Unbehaun - Makreckis, Hippe, Pherai, Finnsson - Raschl, Pfanne, Papadopoulos - Taz, Bornemann, Tachie

SECOND HALF!

All change in the Dortmund ranks, and a few new faces for Gießen...

HALF-TIME! GIESSEN 0-2 DORTMUND

Ideal start to Marco Rose's tenure. Dortmund took their time to get going, but lead through a pair of fine goals. Julian Brandt's on fire...

42' GOAAAAL! GIESSEN 0-2 DORTMUND

Lovely, lovely goal. Brandt's involved again, exchanging passes with Dahoud, who disguises a superb pass out left to Tigges. He rolls his man in one swift motion, before slamming past Löhe with aplomb!

34' GOAAAAL! GIESSEN 0-1 DORTMUND

Dortmund lead, and it's Brandt who's the catalyst. He drives into the Gießen box, drawing out the goalkeeper before releasing the ball to his right. Ansgar Knauff is first to react, the BVB teenager sweeping low through a clutch of red shifts and into the back of the net.

31' GIESSEN COME AGAIN...

... Burgio meets a cross but doesn't test Hitz.

28' GIESSEN THREAT

Another left-wing delivery causes problems for the Dortmund defence. Reithmeir wins the header, but can't keep his attempt down.

26' BRANDT-REUS

Everything's going through Brandt and Reus for Dortmund. The former finds the latter with another smart pass, but the ensuing through-ball is deflected behind. Brandt's corner is headed up towards Reus, whose volleyed attempt cannons off a red shirt.

18' DAGHFOUS THREAT

Nejmeddin Daghfous finds space on the left for Gießen. He cuts inside and pings a ball across the six-yard box, but nobody's home and it drops wide of the far post.

15' DORTMUND DANGER

Brandt threads a superb reverse-ball into the feet of Reus. His first attempt to find Tigges is blocked, but a fortuitous deflection allows him a second bite of the cherry. Löhe is first to the loose ball, though.

9' SIDE-NETTING!

A let-off for Dortmund as Collins concedes a free-kick to the left of the BVB area. It's whipped in, with Reus inadvertently toeing the ball towards Hitz's goal and into the side-netting. The keeper didn't move, but the linesman's flag did. That wouldn't have counted.

7' BRANDT EVERYWHERE

A Brandt corner is put behind for another flag-kick, which the Dortmund midfielder plays short. It's worked back towards Reus on the edge of the D, but Tigges gets in the way. Schulz then misplaces a pass, allowing the hosts to break, but Brandt hares back to regain possession.

5' DORTMUND IN CONTROL

BVB have already made in-roads in the final third. Reus and Brandt, in particular, are looking very lively in the opening exchanges.

2' BUNDESLIGA EXPERIENCE

As well as the Gießen coach, goalkeeper Frederic Löhe and defender Michael Fink have played in the Bundesliga. Löhe made a handful of appearances for Gladbach. Fink played for the Foals, Frankfurt and Bielefeld, racking up 137 top-flight games.

KICK-OFF!

Gießen get the ball rolling, six minutes later than advertised. Better late than never!

FANS IN ATTENDANCE

We've got 4,000 spectators at the Waldstadion as Dortmund take to the field in their traditional black-and-yellow get-up. Gießen are head to toe in red.

FRESH FACES

Dortmund centre-backs Nnamdi Collins (17) and Albin Thaqi (19), along with Göktan Gürpüz (18), have never played for the senior team before. All three spent last season with the U19s.

'WE HAVE TO WIN UGLY'

For Reus, Dortmund must start grinding out results when they're not playing well, if they're to dethrone Bayern. "It's down to us," said the BVB captain ahead of his 10th campaign with the senior side. "We need to show consistency because Bayern are the team to beat, and everything has to fall into place over the course of a season to topple them. They win matches even when they're not playing well. We weren't able to do that last season. We need to start winning ugly - to find a way to win when we're not playing well. Bayern have been able to do that. That's why they've won so many titles over the years."

ROSE TARGETS SILVERWARE

Dortmund's new boss singled out Haaland and 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko at his official unveiling earlier this month, before reiterating his desire to bring more trophies to the club following last season's DFB Cup success. "The squad is very well set up, and at BVB you play for titles," Rose said. "That's also one of the reasons why I decided to join the club. I'm particularly happy that I can become part of Borussia Dortmund's history."

TEAM NEWS

Ealing Haaland’s back in training, but doesn’t feature. Captain Marco Reus does start, though, alongside Julian Brandt and Ansgar Knauff in an attacking three behind Steffen Tigges. Marwin Hitz, Felix Passlack, Nico Schulz and Mo Dahoud are the other Dortmund starters with first-team experience. USA teenager Gio Reyna is among the substitutes.

WHO ARE GIESSEN?

A fourth-tier club, who finished 11th in the Regionalliga Südwest last season, that’s who! Their coach, Daniyel Cimen, is a former defender, who played for Eintracht Frankfurt and Braunschweig.

WELCOME!
You’re just in time for Dortmund’s first pre-season friendly ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. It’s also their first outing under new head coach Marco Rose. Stay tuned!