UEFA Youth League heartbreak for Borussia Dortmund U-19s
By Tushar Bahl
Borussia Dortmund U-19s were eliminated from the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday evening after losing to Hajduk Split on penalties in the quarterfinals.
A dramatic penalty shootout ended with UEFA Youth League heartbreak for the Borussia Dortmund U-19s, as they were eliminated by Croatian side Hajduk Split. The Black and Yellows lost the penalty shootout 8-9 and crashed out at the quarterfinals stage of the UEFA Youth League for the second season running.
Having beaten Paris St. Germain in the round of 16, the Borussia Dortmund U-19s went into their quarterfinal against Hajduk Split in front of 16,000 supporters at the Signal Iduna Park full of confidence. The quarterfinal tie was a tense affair, with both teams coming close to scoring in the first half.
Despite dominating possession and creating the better chances, Borussia Dortmund U-19s fell behind in the 71st minute when Mate Antunović gave Hajduk Split the lead with a fantastic header.
But as they have so often done this season, Mike Tullberg’s side responded brilliantly and got back on level terms just five minutes later. Julian Rijkhoff made it 1-1 from the penalty spot.
There was nothing to separate the two sides after 90 minutes, and the game went to penalties. The first 16 penalties found the back of the net, before Filippo Mané’s spot-kick was saved by the Hajduk Split goalkeeper. The Croatian side won the penalty shootout 9-8, and ended Borussia Dortmund’s hopes of winning the UEFA Youth League for the first time in the club’s history.
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Despite their heartbreaking exit from the UEFA Youth League, the Borussia Dortmund U-19s can be proud of the way they performed over the course of the tournament. The BVB U-19s players showed great resilience throughout their Youth League campaign and were unlucky not to qualify for the semifinals in the end.