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Borussia Dortmund kicked off their pre-season with a 3-1 win against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. Despite Oberhausen taking the lead, the Black and Yellows managed to secure a comeback victory, which was instigated by their new signing, Justin Lerma.
Towards the end of the first half, the 18-year-old started the move and went on a great run before finishing well to make the game 1-1 going into the break. For this, he received plaudits from the fans and his coach alike.
Despite the goal, though, there were signs that Lerma has some way to go before he can make an impact in the first team. During the opening exchanges of the game, he didn’t respond well to pressure from the opposition. He was giving away the ball and was unable to compose himself.
In addition to that, his positioning for most of the game wasn’t a good one. He wasn’t able to offer a passing option to his teammates and was often marked by the Oberhausen players.
Lerma only played the first half, so it is difficult to assess him as a player based on those minutes alone. In the second half, another new player, Takato Yamamoto, managed to impress everyone with a well-taken goal and an overall brilliant performance.
Before the game, many eyes were on Lerma rather than Yamamoto, but the Japanese midfielder managed to steal the headlines and was the big takeaway from the game. However, as previously reported, Lerma is a big part of Niko Kovac’s plans and is expected to be a creative force in the team.
