Ethan Nwaneri’s mistaken red card highlights Dortmund’s rocky start

Ethan Nwaneri endured a chaotic 60 minutes on his Borussia Dortmund debut after the 19‑year‑old was mistakenly shown a red card just seconds into the Bundesliga clash with Union Berlin on Saturday.

Wrong card, quick correction

The Arsenal loanee was challenged heavily by Tom Rothe and appeared to be sent off, but referee Daniel Schlager soon realised he had drawn the wrong card from his pocket. He promptly displayed a yellow card instead, allowing Nwaneri to stay on the pitch.

Limited impact and early substitution

Having been booked so early, Nwaneri was withdrawn shortly after the hour mark, ending a debut that failed to spark the desired impact. The German media were quick to comment: called the team’s start “nothing short of explosive” and described Nwaneri’s challenge as “brutal”, while Ruhr Nachrichten gave him a 5/10 rating, saying he has yet to prove his worth.

Goal claimed he was Dortmund’s most dangerous player during his 60 minutes, but other outlets labelled his performance “largely anonymous”. Ran was harsher, awarding a rating of 5 and citing “poor ball control” and “inaccurate finishing”.

Club reaction and broader context

Dortmund sporting director Nils‑Ole Book expressed disappointment, stating: “We’re disappointed. We wanted to do a lot more. To get in behind, you need to play with more courage all over the field.” He added that the team started too late and needed to be bolder to press opponents.

The Premier League’s youngest‑ever player has made seven appearances for Dortmund across the Bundesliga and Champions League, starting four league matches but yet to start a European fixture. Dortmund, who suffered a 1‑0 defeat to Bodo/Glimt earlier in the week, now face Azerbaijani side Sabah on Tuesday as they chase a second win in the competition.

Comments were originally published by Bruna Reis at 13:10 on 18 Oct 2026 under the Sport section. The article includes a “View Image” prompt and references the Borussia Dortmund and German Bundesliga context throughout.