Felix Nmecha stunner adds gloss to Borussia Dortmund win over Paderborn
Felix Nmecha's brace, including an early contender for Goal of the Season, helped Borussia Dortmund maintain their perfect start to the Bundesliga campaign with a 3-0 victory over Paderborn at Signal Iduna Park.
Goals: 1-0 Silva 5’ (assist: Guirassy), 2-0 Nmecha 80’ (assist: Beier), 3-0 Nmecha 89’ (assist: Sabitzer)
Niko Kovač made four changes to the side that had beaten Villarreal in midweek, with Nico Schlotterbeck returning from injury to captain the side alongside Jobe Bellingham, Fabio Silva and Ethan Nwaneri, who all came into the starting XI. Paderborn's Ralf Kettemann, meanwhile, made just one change from the side that lost to Freiburg, bringing Stefano Marino in for Rayan Philippe.
Silva strikes early as Paderborn push forward
Paderborn started brightly and were unafraid to have the ball, but it was Dortmund who struck first. Inside the opening five minutes, Serhou Guirassy played a perfectly weighted through ball to Silva, who drove clean through on goal and slotted past Nahuel Noll.
Paderborn continued to press and create openings without converting, while Noll produced a strong save to deny Veerman. Two efforts by Guirassy were then ruled out for offside, meaning Dortmund's lead stood at just one goal at the break.
BVB changes prove key
The second half continued in a similar vein, with Noll repeatedly denying Dortmund's forwards. He saved from Nwaneri and then from Guirassy in quick succession around the hour mark, while Bellingham headed a corner just wide.
Kovač then made the decisive decision to introduce Nmecha, alongside Carney Chukwuemeka and Marcel Sabitzer just after the hour. Paderborn also rang the changes, but their attacking threat faded after the interval and they failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
Nmecha dazzles
With the score still 1-0, Nmecha found the back of the net with a little over 10 minutes left to give Dortmund extra breathing space, cutting past Tjark Scheller with a body feint before firing home from a Maximilian Beier assist.
Sabitzer then struck the crossbar with a delicate lob after Noll had rushed out to meet him, before Nmecha completed the win in the 89th minute with an acrobatic scissor-kick finish from a Sabitzer cross.
Man of the Match: Fabio Silva
Silva opened the scoring after just five minutes, finishing coolly after being sent clear by Guirassy, and was involved throughout Dortmund's most dangerous moves before being substituted midway through the second half. His early strike set the tone for a dominant home display and he was voted Man of the Match with 43 percent of the votes.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Borussia Dortmund 2.09 - Paderborn 07 0.76
Fastest player: Clemens Lippmann (Paderborn), 33.24 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-0 by Felix Nmecha (Dortmund), 8 percent
Most pressed player: Jobe Bellingham (Dortmund), 11 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Tjark Scheller (Paderborn), 2.92
Fantasy Heroes: Felix Nmecha (Dortmund, 310 points), Jobe Bellingham (Dortmund, 214 points), Fabio Silva (Dortmund, 195 points)
