Record crowd, shot barrage and Kovac praise for two youngsters

On August 17, 2024, over 50,000 fans filled Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion to watch Borussia Dortmund (BVB) defeat Phönix Lübeck 4-1 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. This marked a record attendance for a first-round match in the competition. Just two years earlier, on a late Tuesday evening, 45,917 fans attended a DFB-Pokal match involving a fifth-division team at the same venue, setting a new benchmark for such matches.

BVB registered 38 shots in their 5-0 (4-0) win over Hamburg Eimsbütteler Ballspiel Club. Their opponents managed only 2 attempts, covering a total of 112 kilometers. Among the BVB players, 18-year-old Samuele Inacio took the lead with 7 shots, scoring a brace – his first professional goals. Following him were 17-year-old Mathis Albert with 6 shots, and 24-year-old Fabio Silva also scoring 6 times.

Coach Niko Kovac praised the youngsters' performance, explaining that giving the young players game time was a key objective. Kovac noted that Mathis Albert's strength lies in one-on-one situations. The match provided an excellent opportunity for the young players to showcase their talents in front of a packed stadium of 45,000 fans. Mathis Albert made his professional debut as a left winger, having joined BVB’s youth setup from the United States in summer 2024.