Borussia Dortmund stars Marcel Sabitzer, Felix Nmecha and Waldemar Anton have reveled in their comprehensive 5-0 victory over HEBC in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.
The BVB made lightwork of the fifth-tier minnows at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg as young guns shined on a night of big chances.
Samuele Inacio struck a brace whereas Daniel Svensson and Fabio Silva were also on target. The match also saw summer signing Joey Veerman start for the first time since joining.
Him, along with Konstantinos Karetsas, Kaua Prates and Mathis Albert, all made their German Cup debuts for the side.
Sabitzer started his first match of the season on the right side of a three-man midfield and bagged an assist for Inacio's first goal of the night.
Speaking to the press after the game, the Austrian international lauded HEBC for their counter-attacking style while lamenting Dortmund not scoring more goals. He said:
"We did what was expected of us. We made a lot of substitutions today. In the beginning, you need to find your rhythm and get into the game. And the opposition did a pretty good job. They launched some good counters. But in the end, we were in complete control. We could have scored a few more goals."
Felix Nmecha was among those who retained his place in the starting XI from the weekend but struggled to bring his best into the match before getting replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka at half-time.
The German international was content at having seen his team get the job done in Hamburg while reasserting their goal of lifting the coveted trophy.
"We enjoyed the game. It meant a lot to them, and they did well. You could really feel the energy from the fans, too. In the end, we got the goals we needed. It’s an important win for us and a wonderful experience for them. Everyone who competes in the DFB-Pokal wants to win it. That’s our goal. We have to play well in every round and hopefully keep winning."
Waldemar Anton, also among the starters on Tuesday, echoed the sentiment as he said:
"It was a domestic cup game that was very important for us as a team. We wanted to win the game, and managed to do so. It was nice to high-five the other team after the game. Those guys were excited that we took a group photo together."
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