New signing Waldemar Anton was on the scoresheet as Borussia Dortmund kicked off the 2024/25 campaign with a comfortable 4-1 DFB Cup first-round victory over Phönix Lübeck at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.
Phönix Lübeck 1-4 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Anton 3′ (assist: Groß), 0-2 Can 31′ (pen.), 0-3 Brandt 45’+1 (assist: Groß), 1-3 Iloka 55′, 1-4 Duranville 62′ (assist: Couto)
Considering last season’s UEFA Champions League finalists play their football four divisions higher than Regionalliga outfit Lübeck, Dortmund were heavy favourites to progress. Therefore, it came as little surprise to see them stamp their authority on the game as they took the lead within the opening three minutes. Two summer signings combined, with Anton tapping home Pascal Groß‘s corner while unmarked at the back post. Initially, BVB were unable to create any clear-cut openings to add to their advantage, and Lübeck captain Johann Berger almost equalised with an audacious free-kick from distance. However, Die Schwarzgelben gave themselves extra breathing space around the half-hour mark when Emre Can converted a penalty after Karim Adeyemi had been been felled in the area by Kevin Ntika Bondombe. Now well in the ascendancy, Dortmund extended their lead further on the stroke of half-time through Julian Brandt’s composed finish, with the impressive Groß’s picking up his second assist in the process.
Forced to replace Gregor Kobel at the interval due to a back injury, Dortmund went in search of more goals after the interval. Soon, though, Kobel’s replacement Alexander Meyer was picking the ball out of the net after Lübeck reduced the deficit. Centre-back Obinna Iloka found himself in the Dortmund third, dispossessed Brandt and fired a pinpoint effort into the top corner. They almost gave their more illustruous opponents even more to think about with almost an hour played when Emanuel Adou struck the outside of the post. Nevertheless, that close shave appeared to kick Dortmund back into gear, and they soon restored their three-goal buffer through substitute Julien Duranville, who showed composure to slot fellow replacement Yan Couto‘s through ball between Lübeck goalkeeper Carl Leonhard’s legs. Despite the setback, Iloka almost completed his brace when his header from a corner hit the post, before the upright came to Dortmund’s rescue once more to stop Nico Schlotterbeck from turning into his own net. That proved to be the final real opening of the match as Dortmund prevailed. They will now turn their attention the Bundesliga curtain-raiser against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Lübeck can be proud of their showing against one of Germany’s biggest clubs.
Match stats
- Dortmund have now won their last 19 first-round DFB Cup matches, last losing at this stage in 2005/06.
- Anton and Duranville both scored their first-ever goals for the club.
- Maximilian Beier came off the bench to make his Dortmund debut.
- Dortmund are five-time DFB Cup winners, with their last triumph coming in 2020/21.
- BVB have now scored four goals in each of their last two domestic matches after defeating Darmstadt 4-0 on the final day of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season.
- Lübeck were playing in the DFB Cup for only the second time in their history, having lost to Bad Kreuznach on debut in the 1976/77 first round. However, they did eliminate Dortmund in the predecessor Tschammer-Pokal in 1938 (2-1).
Teams
Lübeck: Leonhard – Bock, Ntika, Iloka, Adou (Kurtz 75′) – Obushnyi (Ajala-Alexis 46′), Berger (c), Maiolo (Fritzsche 84′), Sadrifar – Kliti (Lesueur 61′), Stöver (Ihde 75′)
Unused subs: Schneider, Jablonski, Lesueur, Poplawski
Out: Hartwig (knock)
Coach: Christiano Adigo
Dortmund: Kobel (Meyer 46′) – Süle, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson (Couto 59′) – Can (c) (Malen 59′), Groß, Sabitzer, Brandt, Gittens (Duranville 59′) – Adeyemi (Beier 69′)
Unused subs: Bensebaini, Nmecha, Reyna, Beier, Haller
Out: Guirassy (knee)
Coach: Nuri Şahin
As it happened!