Sahin’s team played – unusually for a cup first round match – in front of almost 51,000 spectators in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.
Although the outsiders put the German UCL representatives to a tough test, the new additions to BVB created a lot of anticipation among the numerous fans who had travelled with them.
In front of 50,971 spectators in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion, Borussia Dortmund ensured a successful start to Nuri Sahin’s new coaching era on Saturday evening. The match played in HSV’s home stadium was not at all fitting for a first-round duel in the DFB Cup, as the ground of fourth-division club 1. FC Phönix Lübeck was far too small for a cup match. Tens of thousands of BVB fans had travelled north to cheer on their team. The Black and Yellows treated their fans to a 4-1 victory, which, despite the final score, offered some nerve-wracking moments.
New head coach Sahin’s first competitive eleven consisted of two new summer signings. Interestingly, Sahin fielded the Black and Yellows in a 3-4-3 formation. Former VfB Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton started on the right alongside Niklas Süle in the middle and Nico Schlotterbeck on the left. Another new signing from the off-season, Pascal Groß, partnered captain Emré Can in midfield. Julian Ryerson moved up to play as a full-back opposite Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Julian Brandt – who was given the coveted number 10 shirt following Marco Reus’ departure – worked on the left side of the attack. Marcel Sabitzer took up the right side behind striker Karim Adeyemi.
It didn’t take long for Groß and Anton to justify their summer signings. Former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder and late bloomer for the German national team, Groß fed Anton perfectly from a corner in the third minute. Everyone in blue had lost sight of Anton, making the 1-0 all too easy. Dortmund dominated the game from then on. The fluid play of the new constellation led to several more scoring opportunities until the BVB captain officially made it 2-0 with a penalty in the 31st minute. Adeyemi caused contact in the penalty area after half an hour, a penalty decision that was harsh but nevertheless correct.
Brandt was particularly active after the second goal. After coming close to scoring a third twice, the 28-year-old scored in stoppage time in the first half to make it 3-0. Groß provided his second assist of the evening with a beautiful high ball over the Lübeck ranks. Brandt confidently took on the 45+1 run and finished elegantly. With a three-goal lead at half-time, Sahin brought on substitute goalkeeper Alexander Meyer for Gregor Kobel for the second 45 minutes. The BVB coach also changed tactics and had his team switch to a 4-2-3-1 system.
Ten minutes after the restart, the unsettled Dortmund team conceded a goal. After Brandt carelessly lost the ball, Groß, who was pushing high, chased Lübeck defender Obinna Iloka. However, a return goal would not have been the result had the American thundered a dream goal from the edge of the penalty area into the top left corner. Sahin reacted to the 1:3, made three substitutions and switched the team to a 3-4-3. But before Dortmund could really get into the swing of things, Lübeck almost scored again.
Former Hamburger SV youth player Emanuel Adou slammed the ball against the goal post after an hour. Two minutes later, BVB substitutes came on. A strong run by newly signed right-back Yan Couto ended with the player on loan from Man City playing to Julien Duranville in the 62nd minute. Duranville pushed the ball past Lübeck goalkeeper Carl Leonard to score his first goal for the Dortmund pros and an unassailable 4-1 lead.
Lübeck remained combative. Iloka was very unlucky not to score again in the 81st minute when he headed a corner kick onto the post. Three minutes later there was another scary moment when Schlotterbeck accidentally headed the ball onto his own crossbar. Towards the end there were a few cheeky moments from the BVB eleven when Sahin’s team was still looking for a fifth goal, but in the end the score remained 4:1.
