Dortmund maintain perfect league start as Nmecha shines against Paderborn
Borussia Dortmund made it four wins from four at the start of the Bundesliga season with a 3-0 victory over Paderborn at Signal Iduna Park, as Felix Nmecha scored twice late on to settle a match that was tighter than the final score suggests.
The result extends Dortmund’s unbeaten run against Paderborn to eight matches and gives them their best start to a Bundesliga campaign since 2015-16. It was also their fifth win in a row in all competitions.
Match highlight
Paderborn began with plenty of possession. They tried to take advantage of a Dortmund side coming off Tuesday’s Champions League match against Villarreal, pushing high and moving the ball with confidence.
But Dortmund took the lead after only five minutes.
Paderborn lost possession while committed forward, and Serhou Guirassy made them pay. The striker played a precise through ball for Fabio Silva, who ran clear, rounded the goalkeeper and finished into the net. It was Silva’s second goal in consecutive Bundesliga matches and ended Dortmund’s run of 10 league goals scored after half-time.
Dortmund almost doubled the lead when Joey Veerman volleyed toward goal. His effort took a deflection, but Nahuel Noll reacted quickly to make the save.
Paderborn had a big chance to level the score soon after. Raphael Obermair found Laurin Curda in a promising position, but Curda could only hit the side netting. The visitors continued to look for their first goal since returning to the top flight, while Dortmund had two Guirassy efforts ruled out for offside before the break: first a chip, then a header.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Paderborn competed well, but their lack of a clinical finish hurt them. Noll kept his side in the contest with another important save from Ethan Nwaneri, while Jobe Bellingham headed wide when he should have made Dortmund’s lead more comfortable.
The tension grew around the Yellow Wall as Dortmund failed to take their chances. Then Nmecha produced the moment that changed the mood.
He exchanged a quick one-two with Maximilian Beier, drove through Paderborn’s attempted challenges and placed his finish into the far corner. It gave Dortmund the breathing room they had been missing.
Marcel Sabitzer later hit the crossbar, but Nmecha was not finished. In the 89th minute, he scored a spectacular bicycle kick to make it 3-0 and complete his brace.
Paderborn will feel the scoreline was harsh after a competitive performance. They had their moments, but remain without a goal or a win in the Bundesliga this season. The defeat also takes their club-record winless run in the division to 18 matches.
Dortmund didn’t play at their best for long spells, but Nmecha’s two late goals made the result look comfortable anh yêu. Paderborn caused problems, yet their poor finishing left them empty-handed again.
