Borussia Dortmund have loaned Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri on deadline day and began their DFB-Pokal campaign with a commanding 5-0 win at fifth-tier side HEBC Hamburg. The club sits fifth in the Bundesliga table with three points from one game and faces 1899 Hoffenheim away on Saturday.
19-year-old Englishman Ethan Nwaneri joins Borussia Dortmund from Arsenal on a season-long loan for the 2026/27 campaign. It is a straight loan with no option to buy, with Dortmund covering his full wages. Nwaneri, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille, is intended to provide offensive midfield depth following an injury to new signing Giannis Konstantelias. The deal was announced just thirty minutes before the DFB-Pokal match against HEBC. The attacking player adds variety to coach Niko Kovac's squad as BVB have started the Bundesliga season with two goals scored and none conceded. The current lineup can be viewed on our squad page.
Borussia Dortmund won their first-round DFB-Pokal match at fifth-division club HEBC Hamburg 5-0. Four goals came before halftime via an own goal from Janek Wrede and strikes from Daniel Svensson and a brace from Samuele Inacio. Fabio Silva added a fifth goal in the second half. Despite the clear defeat, the evening was a special event for the amateur club. A record 45,917 spectators attended due to the move to the Volksparkstadion, a record for a cup match involving a fifth-tier side. "Everyone enjoyed it," said BVB professional Marcel Sabitzer, praising the plucky opponent.
Borussia Dortmund started the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with a 2-0 home win against Hamburger SV. Serhou Guirassy and debutant Giannis Konstantelias scored the goals for BVB. This puts the club fifth in the standings with three points, two goals for and none against. The match against Hamburg was marred by a serious injury to Konstantelias, which forced the club to act in the transfer market. The next challenge is an away match at 12th-placed TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on September 5th.
Coach Niko Kovac made heavy rotations for the cup match against HEBC, making seven changes compared to the Bundesliga opener. Goalkeeper Alexander Meyer replaced number one Gregor Kobel, who wasn't even in the squad. The heavily changed team needed about half an hour to find their rhythm before the goals started flowing. The HEBC amateurs secured the jerseys of the Dortmund professionals after the final whistle. For BVB, it was the first mandatory task after their defeat to Bayern Munich in the Franz-Beckenbauer Supercup at the end of August. The win paves the way to the second round of the DFB-Pokal.
With six points from two official competitive matches and a positive goal difference, Borussia Dortmund head into the coming weeks with optimism. The defensive stability with two clean sheets is an encouraging sign. Konstantelias's injury is a setback, but the loan of Nwaneri is meant to provide a solution. The focus is now fully on the Bundesliga and preparing for the away match at Hoffenheim on September 5, 2026. Kovac has various options within his squad for the upcoming tasks. Detailed team statistics are available on our stats page.
