Borussia Dortmund kicked off their 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. The hero of the day was 20-year-old English substitute Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who came on in the 59th minute and scored both goals for Dortmund.After a challenging first half where Frankfurt created several chances, Dortmund found their rhythm in the second half. Bynoe-Gittens broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute with a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, and then sealed the win in stoppage time with a left-footed strike.The victory marked a successful Bundesliga coaching debut for Nuri Sahin, who praised his team’s patience and the impact of the substitutes. ‘I expected that we might need to find ourselves. We played against a very good opponent,’ Sahin said, emphasizing the importance of squad depth.The match was not without controversy, as Dortmund fans protested against the club’s new sponsorship deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. Banners reading ‘We won’t be spanned by your tanks’ and ‘Coal first, values second’ were displayed in the stands.The game also marked the return of referee Felix Zwayer to Signal Iduna Park after a two-and-a-half-year absence, following criticism from former Dortmund player Jude Bellingham. His return was largely uneventful, save for a missed handball call in the first half.Dortmund’s next fixture is away against Werder Bremen on August 31, while Frankfurt will host Hoffenheim on the same day. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on how Sahin continues to shape the team’s performance and whether young talents like Bynoe-Gittens can maintain their impact.
Key points
- Borussia Dortmund won their Bundesliga opener 2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Substitute Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored both goals for Dortmund in the second half.
- Nuri Sahin made a successful debut as Dortmund’s head coach.
- Dortmund fans protested against the club’s new sponsorship deal with Rheinmetall.
Contradictions👾There are minor discrepancies in the reported timing of Bynoe-Gittens’ second goal, with some sources stating it was in the 90th minute, while others report it as the 93rd minute or 3rd minute of stoppage time.
