Borussia Dortmund may have come up agonisingly short in the 2018/19 Bundesliga title race, but their U19s have gone one better and are now German champions in their age group for the eighth time.

The BVB youngsters showed real passion and determination to claim the U19 Bundesliga title for the third time in four years. Benjamin Hoffmann’s side came through one of the fiercest local rivalries by beating Schalke 4-2 on aggregate in the semi-final after coming second to the Royal Blues in the league stage. Dortmund then did it the hard way in the final against VfB Stuttgart, coming from 3-1 down at half-time to claim a 5-3 victory.

It’s a setup that has previously produced the likes of Christian Pulisic, Mario Götze and Jacob Bruun Larsen, so which members of the current crop could soon be making their breakthrough into the first team? bundesliga.com takes a look at which Black-Yellow youngsters you need to keep an eye on…

Luca Unbehaun
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 18
Games: 21 (9 clean sheets)
Country: Germany (2 U18 caps)

Luca Unbehaun missed the finals of the U19 Bundesliga after undergoing knee surgery, but the 6’1’’ goalkeeper was the undisputed number one for this Dortmund side, conceding just 17 goals in his 21 league appearances. He’s regarded as one of Germany’s best youngsters in goal and has already been handed a professional contract by Borussia. He has also featured once in a competitive first-team squad, sitting on the bench for Dortmund’s DFB Cup round of 16 penalty shootout loss to Werder Bremen.

Goalkeeper Luca Unbehaun will have eyes on a first-team spot in the coming years. - imago images / Picture Point LE

Tobias Raschl
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 19
Games: 23 (6 goals, 2 assist)
Country: Germany (1 U19 cap)

Tobias Raschl has been the stand-in captain and beating heart of the Dortmund midfield this season. While his primary job was to shield the best defence in the western league, the Düsseldorf native was also influential at the other end of the pitch. He netted four goals from deep, including one in each leg of the semi-final triumph over Schalke and provided the assist for Paul-Philipp Basong’s goal in the final to put BVB 4-3 ahead after trailing 3-1. The midfielder also has a professional contract and is expected to take a step closer to the first team next season, having already been labelled as a midfielder of the future by sporting director Michael Zorc.

Midfielder Tobias Raschl was one of the leading forces in Borussia Dortmund’s U19 side and has already been tipped for a senior breakthrough. - Lukas Schulze/Getty Images

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

Immanuel Pherai
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 18
Games: 25 (5 goals, 11 assists)
Country: Netherlands (8 U18 caps)

Dutch teenager Immanuel Pherai joined Dortmund from AZ Alkmaar in 2017 and immediately showed what he’s capable of, both as a goalscorer and provider. In his first season he helped the U17s to the title, and now the 18-year-old has repeated the feat with the U19s. He was key in the final win over Stuttgart, setting up the goal to make it 1-1 and striking himself to bring the score back to 3-2 and begin the comeback. The attacking midfielder received special praise from captain Patrick Osterhage: “Manu is a super player. We all know what he can do. When he gets the ball around the goal, he’s always a threat.”

Dutch teenager Immanuel Pherai was a leading provider in BVB’s U19 title charge. - Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

Enrique Pena Zauner
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 19
Games: 25 (10 goals, 11 assists)
Country: Germany/Venezuela (12 U20 caps)

As with Pherai, Offenbach-born Venezuelan Enrique Pena Zauner is one of the most promising members of this Dortmund U19 attack. He had missed much of his first season with Dortmund through injury following his move from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2017, but he developed into a key figure in this title-winning team. Perfectly comfortable on both his left and his right foot, Pena Zauner was the only member of the squad to reach double figures for both goals and assists, including one each in that final win over Stuttgart.

Venezuela youth international Enrique Pena Zauner provided some South American flair in attack for the U19 champions. - Lukas Schulze/Getty Images

Emre Aydinel
Position: Forward
Age: 19
Games: 29 (18 goals, 7 assists)
Country: Germany/Turkey (5 U19 caps)

When thinking of young Dortmund strikers it’s often the name of 14-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko that comes up, but five years his senior, Emre Aydinel appears to be the next Black-Yellow cab off the rank. Having come through the BVB academy, the Turkey U19 international netted 19 goals in 27 U19 league appearances last season. He recorded equally impressive numbers again in this title-winning campaign with 18 in 29, but also chipped in with seven assists. There could soon be stiff competition for Paco Alcacer in attack if Aydinel keeps up that rate of scoring.

Emre Aydinel was top scorer for the U19s, making it two prolific campaigns in a for the Turkey youth international. - imago images / Thomas Bielefeld

About the clubs

Borussia Dortmund

SIGNAL IDUNA PARK