Philip Otele marked a memorable milestone by scoring his first Bundesliga goal for Hamburg, even as the club fell 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The 26-year-old, who arrived on loan from Basel in the winter transfer window, set the tone early by putting the visitors ahead in a thrilling contest at Signal Iduna Park.

Otele put Hamburg ahead with a precise strike, beating Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to give his side an early lead.

The goal showcased the winger’s sharp finishing and his growing impact since arriving in Germany’s top flight.

Hamburg doubled their advantage later in the first half when Albert Sambi Lokonga scored, controlling a pass at the edge of the box and firing the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-0.

Dortmund staged a second-half comeback to overturn the deficit. Ramy Bensebaini scored from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after a handball was awarded following a VAR review.

Five minutes later, Serhou Guirassy netted a rebound in the box to level the score at 2-2. 

The hosts completed their turnaround in the 84th minute when Bensebaini converted a second penalty, sending the ball into the bottom corner despite a hand from Hamburg goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes, securing a 3-2 victory for Dortmund.

Otele’s goal coincided with another milestone as he recently received his first senior call-up to the Super Eagles ahead of Nigeria’s international friendlies against Iran and Jordan, scheduled for Antalya, Turkey, later this month.

Wale Adejumo