Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-0 home victory over SC Paderborn 07 on Saturday, making it two wins from two matches to start the Bundesliga season. An early goal from Fábio Silva and a late brace from substitute Felix Nmecha sealed a comfortable three points at Signal Iduna Park.
The Match Flow
The hosts took the lead in just the fifth minute. Serhou Guirassy set up Fábio Silva with a clever pass, and the Portuguese forward slotted the ball past Paderborn goalkeeper Noll from close range. The visitors tried to respond and managed ten shots, but not a single one was on target, leaving Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel untested throughout the match.
The first half ended 1-0, with Paderborn's Laurin Ulrich receiving the game's first yellow card in the 39th minute. After the break, the match remained patient until coach Niko Kovač introduced fresh legs. Felix Nmecha, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Marcel Sabitzer entered the fray between the 65th and 77th minutes.
Nmecha Seals the Deal
The changes paid off. In the 80th minute, Nmecha doubled the lead after being set up by Maximilian Beier. Just nine minutes later, the German midfielder completed his brace, finishing a pass from Sabitzer to make it 3-0. In between, Jobe Bellingham had picked up a yellow card for a foul in the 66th minute.
The match statistics showed Dortmund's dominance. They held 56 percent possession, registered 14 shots with eight on target, and won seven corners. Paderborn failed to put a shot on goal, forcing their keeper Noll into five saves.
Post-Match Reactions
"We controlled the game from the start and took our chances clinically," said coach Niko Kovač after the final whistle. "Felix showed today the quality he can bring from the bench. That's exactly what we need."
Looking Ahead to Stuttgart
With this win, Borussia Dortmund solidifies third place in the Bundesliga, having taken six points from two matches. The team is also on a flawless run of five consecutive wins across all competitions. Attention now turns to the next away fixture. On Saturday, September 19th, they travel to face VfB Stuttgart, who currently sit tenth in the table. The last meeting between the sides in April ended in a 2-0 away win for Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund's lineup: Kobel, Gadou, Anton, Schlotterbeck (77 Bensebaini), Ryerson (77 Beier), Veerman (65 Nmecha), J. Bellingham, Svensson, Nwaneri (65 Sabitzer), F. Silva (65 Chukwuemeka), Guirassy.
Felix Nmecha's second goal was a spectacular scissor-kick. The 89th-minute strike to make it 3-0 had the lowest goal probability of just eight percent, according to the official Match Facts. The team is now second in the table with nine points from three games.
