Nmecha double maintains Dortmund's unbeaten start

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Nmecha notched his brace in the space of 16 second-half minutes at Signal Iduna Park, and despite Noel Futkeu's 81st-minute stunner, Dortmund held on for all three points.

Dortmund remains level with Bayern in the standings on 21 points, with the defending Bundesliga champion also coming away with a 2-1 win away to Mainz.

Lukas Petkov forced Gregor Kobel into action in the sixth minute before Fabio Silva's speculative first-time effort from distance almost caught out Nicolas Kristof at the other end.

Dortmund's dominance continued, and it came close to taking the lead on the half-hour mark, but after Kristof did well to thwart Nmecha's prodded shot from close range, Silva somehow headed the rebound wide of the left post.

Elversberg ended the first half in the ascendency, with Francis Onyeka's fizzing drive whistling past Kobel's net, and Petkov's drilled attempt in stoppage-time grabbed at the second attempt by the Dortmund goalkeeper.

Jobe Bellingham, fresh from earning his first call-up to the England squad, volleyed wide within 45 seconds of the restart before Silva fired straight at Kristof from a tight angle.

Konstantinos Karetsas then stung the palms of the Elversberg goalkeeper, but Dortmund's pressure eventually told in the 55th minute when Silva's ball to the edge of the area was collected by Nmecha, who took a touch before picking out the bottom-left corner.

Petkov was once again denied by Kobel as his swerving free-kick was pushed to safety, but Kovac's team doubled its advantage 19 minutes from time through Nmecha, with his curling shot from 25 yards out beating Kristof for pace and power.

However, the visitors threatened a nervy finish when Futkeu acrobatically turned Florian Le Joncour's header into the net, but it proved to be too little, too late for Elversberg.