Dortmund crush newly-promoted side: Dream start for Westphalia giants

BERLIN — A perfect start for Borussia Dortmund in the 2026-2026 Bundesliga season. The Black and Yellow club secured a convincing 3-0 victory over newly-promoted SC Paderborn 07 in round three of Germany's top flight. The match took place at Westfalenstadion on Saturday afternoon, drawing approximately 42,000 home fans. Dortmund controlled the game from the opening minutes. In the 5th minute, the Portuguese forward broke through the opponent's defense with speed and finished precisely to open the scoring. After the opener, Dortmund continued their aggressive pressing. In the 18th minute, the Dutch midfielder unleashed a long-range shot that forced the Paderborn goalkeeper into a save. However, Dortmund struggled against the high defensive line of the visitors — two subsequent goals were ruled out for offside in the 34th and 52nd minutes. Into the second half, the head coach made notable substitutions. A young midfielder brought on from the bench immediately made an impact. In the 68th minute, he dribbled past two defenders and slotted into the far corner. By the 81st minute, he completed his brace with a stunning acrobatic volley that sent the stadium into raptures. Dortmund's head coach was pleased after the match: "This is the start we expected. The team has shown quality depth between the starting XI and substitutes." Meanwhile, Paderborn 07 were completely overwhelmed by Dortmund's pressing. Their midfield could not build up play, and their defense was repeatedly exposed in behind. With this victory, Dortmund collected 9 points from 3 matches, temporarily rising to second place, just one point behind the league leader. This performance is particularly meaningful as Dortmund must compete simultaneously in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League. However, experts also noted that victory over a newly-promoted side says little about Dortmund's true strength. The real test will come in an away fixture against a top-tier opponent, scheduled in two weeks. Additionally, the introduction of multiple young players into the starting lineup signals Dortmund is in a squad rebuilding phase. The club's model remains buying young players cheaply, developing them, and selling at a profit — a strategy proven over many years. This means the risk of losing young stars to European giants always looms. Dortmund's Champions League campaign is also about to begin, and that will be the true test for the Westphalia giants this season.