Jude Bellingham scored on his Borussia Dortmund debut to help his side reach the second round of the German Cup after routing third-division MSV Duisburg 5-0 on Monday.
Dortmund’s task was made easier when Duisburg defender Dominic Volkmer was sent off for chopping down Erling Haaland in the 38th minute.
Jadon Sancho opened the scoring with a penalty in the 14th minute, and Thorgan Hazard set up Bellingham with his heel in the 30th. The 17-year-old Bellingham, who joined from Birmingham City in the offseason, was fortunate to see his shot rebound in off Duisburg goalkeeper Leo Weinkauf.
Volkmer brought down Haaland and Hazard made it 3-0 from the free kick, curling it inside the top corner.
Dortmund had to wait till the 50th for American midfielder Giovanni Reyna, also 17, to score his first goal of the season.
Marco Reus went on in the 57th after seven months out injured and the Dortmund captain scored three seconds later, taking Sancho’s perfectly played free kick and converting past Weinkauf.
Just 300 fans were allowed to attend the game due to coronavirus precautions.
Earlier, Dynamo Dresden defeated Hamburger SV 4-1 in front of an official tally of 10,053 fans for the biggest attendance at a German soccer game since the restrictions began in March.
Yannick Stark scored in the third minute for Dresden’s earliest ever German Cup goal, and Robin Becker and Christoph Daferner added two more.
Amadou Onana scored late for Hamburg, but Sebastian Mai replied with a penalty in injury time for Dresden, sending the former East German champion into the second round.
Hamburg defender Toni Leistner jumped into the stand and pushed a Dresden fan back after receiving what he told Sky TV were “massive insults” toward his family. Objects continued to rain down on him before he broke off the interview. Leistner was born in Dresden and previously played for the team.
Leistner later said on Instagram that insults were “under the belt” against his family, partner and daughter. He apologized and promised never to react the way he did, “regardless what insults are thrown at me.”
Dresden said on Twitter: “Toni Leistner is a Dresden boy whose heart is in the right place.”
Dresden was relegated from the second division last season after the team was forced to quarantine following a number of COVID-19 infections. Dresden was already bottom of the division and couldn’t resume with the rest of the league in May, further disadvantaging the side’s survival hopes.
Hamburg stayed in the second division after failing to meet its goal of promotion. The former Bundesliga heavyweight has high hopes of finally returning under new coach Daniel Thioune, who no longer needs to worry about competing in the cup.
Also, fourth-tier side Rot-Weiss Essen upset newly promoted Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld 1-0, and Hannover held on to defeat second-division rival Würzburger Kickers 3-2 away.