Niclas Füllkrug scored his first goal for Borussia Dortmund as a ten-man BVB side held on to beat Hoffenheim 3-1 in the Matchday 6 curtain-raiser.

Hoffenheim 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Füllkrug 18' (assist: Brandt), 1-1 Kramarić (pen. 25'), 1-2 Reus (45'+3), 1-3 Ryerson (90'+5)
Sent off: Bensebaini (71')

This fixture averaged 2.97 goals per game prior to kick-off and if there was any doubt about whether this one would live up to expectations, the players swiftly dispelled them. Donyell Malen's pace and dribbling caused the Hoffenheim defence some early headaches, and the Dutchman had the first clear chance of the game when he wrestled clear of Ozan Kabak, only to be denied by Oliver Baumann. There was nothing the home goalkeeper could do about the opening goal, however, with Füllkrug smashing in after a defensive mistake by John Brooks. Dortmund let Hoffenheim back into the game a short while later though, when Mats Hummels conceded a penalty after a lapse in concentration of his own, allowing Andrej Kramarić to level from the spot. Marco Reus had the final say in the first half however, rifling in on the rebound after Baumann was unable to hold a fizzing cross from Malen.

Undeterred, Hoffenheim went on the prowl early in the second period and could have restored parity through Grischa Prömel, whose close-range header was too close to Gregor Kobel, before Robert Skov hit the crossbar with a thundering free-kick. They were handed even greater momentum midway through the half when Ramy Bensebaini was sent off for a second yellow card, setting the stage for a gripping final quarter of an hour. Karim Adeyemi could have put an end to the nail-biting when he jinked into the box from the left and used Sébastien Haller as a shield to curl a shot at goal, but Baumann made a superb save with his foot to keep it out. It was ultimately of little consequence though, as Julian Ryerson sealed the points for the visitors in stoppage time with a sensational 80-yard run from deep inside his own half, skipping past a number of defenders and nutmegging Baumann.

Match stats

• Brandt's assist was his fourth of the season, putting him joint top of that category league-wide alongside RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.
• At least one goal has been scored in each of Dortmund's last 133 Bundesliga games - an ongoing league record. 
• Kramarić has converted all three penalties he has taken in the Bundesliga this term. He has scored each of his last seven in Germany's top flight. 
• Reus' goal means he has now found the net in his last three consecutive Bundesliga outings - the first time he has done so since the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
• Dortmund are unbeaten six matches into a season for the first time since a 15-game run to start 2018/19.
• BVB have won six of their last seven Bundesliga meetings with Hoffenheim, collecting 19 from a possible 21 points - their best return of all teams they've faced across the last three seasons.

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Watch: Kobel: "Ryerson's goal was unbelievable!"

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Teams

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kabak, Brooks (Bischof 84'), Vogt - Bebou, Prömel (Berisha 68'), Grillitsch, Stach, Skov (Bülter 68') - Kramarić (Becker 87') - Beier (Justvan 84')
Unused subs: Philipp, Akpoguma, Szalai, Samassekou
Out: Conte (pelvis), Geiger (groin), John (ankle), Kadeřábek (groin), Nsoki (knee), Weghorst (knock)
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo

Dortmund: Kobel - Ryerson, Hummels (c), Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Nmecha (Can 69'), Özcan - Malen (Süle 80'), Reus (Wolf 80'), Brandt (Adeyemi 64') - Füllkrug (Haller 80')
Unused subs: Meyer, Bynoe-Gittens, Reyna, Moukoko
Out: Meunier (hamstring), Morey (knee), Sabitzer (groin)
Coach: Edin Terzić

About the clubs

Borussia Dortmund

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