Bundesliga Daily Report - 2026-09-17: Dortmund open season with five consecutive wins

Borussia Dortmund began the 2026/27 campaign with five consecutive victories across all competitions. Niko Kovac’s side have won all three of their Bundesliga matches, while also defeating HEBC 5-0 in the DFB-Pokal and Villarreal 3-2 in the Champions League. Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga, level with Freiburg on points but behind on goal difference. The perfect league record has placed the club among the early pace-setters, while the European victory added further weight to an impressive opening month for a team competing on three fronts.

The run has given Dortmund an ideal platform before the Bundesliga programme becomes more demanding. Their early success has also strengthened the sense that Kovac’s team can challenge near the top while managing domestic and European commitments. The club’s wider sporting picture has been equally positive, with its women’s handball team and football reserve side also extending winning runs. For the men’s first team, the immediate task is to maintain their momentum and convert a strong opening into a sustained title challenge rather than allowing Freiburg’s superior goal difference to become a recurring advantage.

Bayer Leverkusen beat Celje 2-0 in Slovenia on Wednesday to open their Europa League campaign with three points. The Bundesliga club controlled much of the contest after Celje goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban kept the hosts in contention with several saves. Leverkusen took the lead in the 15th minute when Celje’s Svit Sešlar turned the ball into his own net, before Argentina defender Facundo Medina added a second in the 74th minute. The result reflected Leverkusen’s control, although Celje’s players felt they had created opportunities that needed to be taken at this level.

The victory established Leverkusen among the early contenders in a competition in which they were already regarded as one of the leading teams. Celje’s Pijus Širvys said his side had played quite well but needed to make more of its limited chances, underlining the difference between competitive performance and a result against stronger opposition. Leverkusen will take confidence from winning away without conceding, while Celje face the more difficult task of recovering from an opening defeat. Medina’s late goal also gave the visitors a clear margin heading into their next European fixture.

Jürgen Klopp named 44 players on Thursday for his first Germany squads, splitting them between four Nations League fixtures across the September and October international window. The first group will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 24 September and Greece in Augsburg three days later, while the second will meet Serbia in Munich on 1 October before returning to Greece. Finn Dahmen is the only player selected for both groups. Klopp included 16 uncapped players, among them Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel, Hoffenheim attacker Bambasé Conté and Freiburg players Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu and Derry Scherhant.

The unusual structure gives Klopp an extended opportunity to assess Germany’s depth after taking charge following the World Cup. He said there was no A or B team and that the squads had been assembled according to what made sense on the pitch, as well as character and experience. The selection places particular emphasis on development, with several newcomers having made only a small number of Bundesliga appearances. It also leaves established players such as Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav outside the 44-man group, signalling that the new coach is willing to reshape the national-team picture.

Serhou Guirassy said on Thursday that Borussia Dortmund were benefiting from healthy competition between him and Fábio Silva. The Guinea striker said the pair had developed a strong relationship during recent victories over Villarreal and Paderborn, adding that they exchanged advice when one was not playing. Guirassy’s comments came as Dortmund’s forwards continued to compete for places during a five-match winning run across all competitions. He stressed that the priority was for both players to improve and for the team to benefit whenever either striker scored.

The partnership offers Dortmund flexibility in attack while keeping both forwards engaged during a busy start to the season. Guirassy described Silva as energetic and determined, qualities that complement the experience of the 30-year-old striker. His emphasis on friendship rather than jealousy suggested that the competition is being treated as a collective advantage, not a dressing-room problem. With Dortmund balancing Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League commitments, Kovac is likely to need contributions from both players, particularly as fixtures begin to accumulate across the three competitions.

Cole Campbell has emerged as one of the early breakout American players in the Bundesliga with Elversberg. The 19-year-old has attracted attention for his fearless performances after moving into the German top flight, while his mother, Rakel Karvelsson, has remained an important training partner. Karvelsson previously played professionally in the United States and represented Iceland internationally. Campbell said on Tuesday that her football knowledge helped his development, describing their two-touch training battles and explaining that she used to beat him when he was younger.

Campbell’s rise has added an unexpected individual storyline to Elversberg’s Bundesliga campaign. His background gives the club an appealing connection with American supporters, while his mother’s experience has provided a distinctive foundation for his progress. The midfielder’s comments also illustrated how quickly his status has changed: a player developing with family support is now attracting wider attention in Germany. Elversberg will hope his confidence continues to translate into performances as the season develops, with Campbell’s emergence offering the newly promoted side a notable source of attacking personality.

Hoffenheim lost 2-0 away to OFI Crete on Thursday in their opening Europa League fixture. The Bundesliga side had 59 per cent possession but failed to turn that control into goals, while OFI were more effective when opportunities arrived. Aitor Cantalapiedra put the hosts ahead with a fast counter-attack in the first half, and substitute Georgios Kanellopoulos headed in the second goal late on. The defeat followed Hoffenheim’s mixed Bundesliga start, in which they had recorded one win and two losses from their first three matches.

The result leaves Hoffenheim needing a response in their next European outing after an evening when possession brought little reward. OFI’s approach demonstrated the danger of allowing a home side to attack space quickly, particularly when the visitors were unable to convert their territorial advantage. Hoffenheim had entered the match with encouragement from a 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Stuttgart, but the European defeat exposed a different challenge. Their priority now is to improve their attacking efficiency while retaining the competitive form that produced their recent league win.