Dortmund ease past Oberhausen in comfortable friendly win

SC Rot-Weiß Oberhausen made a lightning start to proceedings, catching Dortmund cold in the opening exchanges. Kesim fired the hosts into a shock fifth-minute lead, sending the home crowd into raptures and setting up what looked like it could be a testing afternoon for the German giants. The atmosphere inside the ground was electric, with the lower-league side sensing an opportunity to make their mark against one of Europe's heavyweight clubs.

Dortmund, however, showed their quality as the half progressed. The visitors controlled possession and gradually built momentum, and their pressure paid off just before the interval when Lerma levelled matters with a well-taken finish at the 45-minute mark. The equaliser settled the visitors, who had weathered the early storm and were beginning to assert themselves on the pitch. Winter picked up a yellow card for Oberhausen on 44 minutes as tempers threatened to heat up.

The second half belonged almost entirely to Marco Rose's side. With their tails up following the leveller, Dortmund turned the screw and added two further goals to put the result beyond doubt. The performance improved markedly as the match wore on, with Oberhausen unable to match the intensity and technical quality their opponents brought to bear in the latter stages.

The 3-1 victory handed Dortmund a pleasing win as they continue their pre-season preparations. Oberhausen can take heart from their bright opening, though they will have learned plenty from an encounter against superior opposition. For Dortmund, the friendly provided a useful workout ahead of the new campaign, showing the ruthlessness needed to break down determined opponents.