Ethan Nwaneri is already making his mark in the Bundesliga. The Arsenal loanee played a decisive role as Borussia Dortmund mounted a stunning comeback to beat Hoffenheim 3-2 on Saturday, turning what looked a certain defeat into three points with three goals in the final half-hour.
Two Down, Three to Come
Hoffenheim were thoroughly dominant through the opening hour, taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Leon Avdullahu and Tim Lemperle. With 54 minutes on the clock, the hosts looked comfortable and Dortmund appeared to have little answer.
Nwaneri had arrived on a season-long loan from Arsenal on deadline day and came on earlier than anticipated, entering the pitch with around 30 minutes played after an injury to Filippo Mane. The midfielder, who made history in 2024 by becoming the youngest player to appear in the Premier League, threw himself straight into the action.
The turnaround began just after the hour mark when striker Serhou Guirassy gave Dortmund a lifeline, pulling one back and immediately shifting the momentum inside the PreZero Arena. Guirassy then turned provider, teeing up Fabio Silva five minutes later to level the contest at 2-2 and set up a breathless finish.
Nwaneri's Decisive Moment
The noises out of the Dortmund camp had been positive about Nwaneri's impact from the moment he signed, and he delivered when it mattered most. With just four minutes of normal time remaining, he drove down the left and let fly with a central effort that clipped Hoffenheim defender Albian Hajdari and deflected beyond the goalkeeper. An own goal, yes — but one entirely of Nwaneri's making, and Dortmund's away end celebrated it all the same.
It is the kind of introduction to German football that any young player on loan would dream of, and the Arsenal faithful watching from afar will be encouraged by what they saw.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga
Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg continued their impressive arrival in the top flight, winning 4-3 at Borussia Mönchengladbach in another rollercoaster result. Gladbach led twice and were 3-1 up midway through the second half, but Elversberg dug deep — even after manager Vincent Wagner was dismissed with a second yellow card shortly before the interval. Felix Keidel levelled with ten minutes to go and Maurice Krattenmacher, with his second of the afternoon, struck the winner deep into stoppage time.
Bayer Leverkusen responded emphatically to last weekend's defeat to Elversberg, hammering Union Berlin 4-0 at home. Argentina internationals Equi Fernández and Facundo Medina had the hosts two up at the break, before England centre-back Jarell Quansah set up Patrik Schick for the third. Ibrahim Maza added a classy fourth late on.
West Ham loanee Niclas Füllkrug continued his fine return to German football, heading home a long-range effort — his second goal in three games — as Werder Bremen beat RB Leipzig 3-1. Eren Dinkci and Marco Grüll also got on the scoresheet for the hosts.
Bilbao Batter Atlético in Spain
In La Liga, Athletic Bilbao produced a commanding performance to dismantle Atlético Madrid 3-0 at San Mamés. Nico Williams, Robert Navarro and Oihan Sancet all found the net on a miserable afternoon for Diego Simeone's side. It was back-to-back wins for Bilbao under former Dortmund coach Edin Terzic after the club had lost their opening two matches of the season. Julián Álvarez, who had attempted to move to Barcelona over the summer, came on as a substitute but made little impression on his return from illness.
- Dortmund 3-2 Hoffenheim — Nwaneri own-goal input seals comeback
- Elversberg 4-3 Mönchengladbach — Krattenmacher nets stoppage-time winner
- Leverkusen 4-0 Union Berlin — Fernández and Medina lead the way
- Athletic Bilbao 3-0 Atlético Madrid — Williams, Navarro and Sancet on target
Frequently asked
- Is Ethan Nwaneri on loan at Borussia Dortmund?
- Yes. Nwaneri joined Dortmund on a season-long loan from Arsenal on deadline day and made an immediate impact, forcing a late own goal in a 3-2 comeback win at Hoffenheim.
- What happened in the Dortmund vs Hoffenheim Bundesliga game?
- Hoffenheim led 2-0 after 54 minutes, but Dortmund scored three times in the final 30 minutes through Guirassy, Fabio Silva and a Nwaneri-forced own goal to win 3-2.
- What was the Athletic Bilbao vs Atlético Madrid score?
- Athletic Bilbao won 3-0 at San Mamés, with Nico Williams, Robert Navarro and Oihan Sancet all scoring to give Edin Terzic's side back-to-back La Liga victories.