Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has lauded Hamburg-Eimsbütteler BC (HEBC) for putting up a 'fantastic' atmosphere at the Volksparstadion during their clash in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.
The BVB prevailed 5-0 over the fifth-tier minnows on the back of a ruthlessly dominant performance with Samuele Inacio bagging a brace on either side of a goal from Daniel Svensson and Fabio Silva.
Janek Wrede struck an own goal in the 33rd minute which started the floodgates as Niko Kovac's team ran the side ragged despite making changes to their XI.
Speaking to the press after the match, the BVB manager lavished praised on HEBC for showing up in numbers and whipping up a frenzy inside the stadium:
"Today, we saw everything we love about the DFB-Pokal and everything that makes it so wonderful! It was the way [HEBC] pumped themselves up and threw themselves into every ball. It was the goalies celebrating every save, along with the fans. For them, it was the match of a lifetime."
Courtesy of a maiden Hamburg Cup win back in May, HEBC returned to DFB-Pokal for the first time since 1935. But just like in their first-round game of the competition 91 years ago, the Hamburg side were beaten in the opening fixture once more.
Borussia Dortmund dominated the statistics, mustering 28 shots in the game of which 12 were on target while boasting 75% possession. With a little more cutting edge, the scoreline could have made for a grimmer reading for the minnows, who spent much of the game cooped up in their own half.
Yet, Kovac feels the sheer occasion of playing in the cup, at the iconic Volksparkstadion, in front of thousands of fans was an experience the side perhaps enjoyed.
"We all started small at some point. Those guys truly enjoyed it, and I’m really happy for them. It was a great day. We’re moving on to the next round, and the atmosphere was all-around fantastic."
The win means BVB progress from the opening round of the competition for the 21st time in a row, while winning by a five-goal margin for just the third time during this period.
Dortmund now join 30 other sides in the second round, the draw for which will take place on Saturday, 5 September with former Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger drawing the games.
The second round of games will be played on 27 and 28 October 2026.
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