German Cup: Player-turned-coach Sahin debuts with a 4-1 Dortmund win

New signings Pascal Gross, Waldemar Anton, Yan Couto and Maximilian Beier also made their debuts, ushering in a fresh start for a club that reached the Champions League final but disappointed domestically last season.

Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin reacts during the match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Nuri Sahin enjoyed a comfortable debut as Borussia Dortmund coach with a 4-1 win over fourth-tier team Phönix Lübeck in the first round of the German Cup on Saturday.

New signings Pascal Gross, Waldemar Anton, Yan Couto and Maximilian Beier also made their debuts, ushering in a fresh start for a club that reached the Champions League final but disappointed domestically last season.

Sahin, a former Dortmund player, was coach Edin Terzić’s assistant last season. He was promoted to the top position after Terzić stepped down citing the need for a “new era” at the club.

It started well with Gross delivering a corner for Anton to score in the third minute. Emre Can added a penalty in the 31st and Gross set up Julian Brandt for 3-0 before the break.

American defender Obinna Iloka pulled one back but Couto set up Julien Duranville for Dortmund’s fourth in the 62nd.

Bundesliga teams Union Berlin, Freiburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Leipzig — and last season’s finalist Kaiserslautern — all overcame lower-league opposition to progress. Promoted Holstein Kiel also won.

Bayern Munich eased into the second round with a 4-0 win at second division side Ulm on Friday.