Post-Match Report
A Record Crowd, Tons of Shots, and Praise for Two Up-and-Comers
On August 17, 2024, a total of 50,971 gathered at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion to watch BVB take on Phönix Lübeck in the first round of the DFB Cup and emerge victorious (4-1), setting a record for a first-round match in the DFB-Pokal. Two years later, and on a Tuesday evening rather than a Saturday evening, 45,917 fans attended BVB's away clash with HEBC at the same venue, this time setting a new record for DFB-Pokal matches featuring a fifth division side.
Borussia Dortmund took 38 shots in its 5-0 victory over Hamburg-Eimsbütteler-Ballspiel Club (4-0 at the half) and logged an impressive total of 118.4 kilometers (or 73.6 miles) of ground covered. The opposition recorded two shots and 112 kilometers (or 69.6 miles).
18-year-old Samuele Inácio took the most shots. Two of his seven attempts found the back of the net, marking the young Italian’s first-ever professional brace. He was trailed by 17-year-old American Mathis Albert and 24-year-old Fabio Silva (6 each).
“Of course, one of our goals was to give the boys some playing time," said BVB Head Coach Niko Kovac. "In Mathis Albert, we had a 17-year-old in the starting lineup today, and he did well. One-on-one situations are his strong suit. Samu scored two goals, which is fantastic. Among other things, we used this game to give them a chance to show themselves. There were forty-five thousand people at the stadium, which made it a special occasion for our young players.”
Mathis Albert made his professional debut as a starter on the left wing. He joined BVB’s youth academy from the United States in the summer of 2024 and made a cameo appearance in the Bundesliga toward the end of last season. (br)