Osaka welcomes the Borussians in black and yellow

They've prepared perfectly: One fan has stretched a Nmecha jersey over a piece of cardboard, with the pen for the autograph already in position. Another has prepared a sign: "Nmecha, could I please have an autograph? Welcome to Japan." For Jobe Bellingham, there's an English version.

As the bus pulls up, cell phones are held aloft, and fans stand on tiptoe. The Borussians are greeted by temperatures over 34 degrees in Osaka—a stark contrast to the roughly 20 degrees in Dortmund when they left. But there's no sign of the long journey or jet lag among the BVB first team players: they patiently fulfill requests for autographs and selfies.