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• Dortmund chief Kehl confident in Sahin despite early season struggles

  Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl is confident Nuri Sahin can turn things around at the club after being dumped out of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday. 

  Dortmund were beaten 1-0 by Wolfsburg in their second-round clash, with Jonas Wind's extra-time winner deciding the contest at the Volkswagen Arena. 

  It marked a miserable week for BVB, who are now without a win in four games in all competitions, piling more pressure on Sahin. 

  Dortmund lost 5-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League last week, despite leading by two goals, before losing to Augsburg upon their Bundesliga return. 

  Sahin has won seven of his first 13 matches in charge in all competitions (D1 L5). While Kehl acknowledged the results had not been good enough, he remained confident in the Dortmund boss. 

  "It is clear that we are not satisfied with the overall situation of our results," Kehl said.

  "But we have to stick together and work hard on things. We are lagging behind in our goals. But we will go through it together.

  "This is a situation that Dortmund has handled successfully in the past.

  "The atmosphere in the changing room was one of frustration, very quiet," Kehl added on Dortmund's cup exit.

  "At the end of the day, we have now been eliminated and that is very bitter."

  Sahin has, however, had to try and navigate some difficult fixtures without a plethora of his first-team players. 

  Dortmund are without Niklas Sule, Julian Ryerson, Waldemar Anton, Karim Adeyemi and Gio Reyna due to injury. 

  Sahin's side have managed just 13 points after eight games in the Bundesliga, their worst start in 10 years, having picked up just seven points at this stage in 2014-15.

  They have also conceded 14 goals in the Bundesliga, only letting in more during the 2007-08 season (16). 

  Despite an away trip to second-placed RB Leipzig up next for Dortmund, Kehl is confident they can earn a first league away win this term. 

  "The squad is relatively small due to the unfortunate injury situation. Still, we will try to win the match on Saturday," Kehl said.

  But it looks like a difficult task for Dortmund as they head into the encounter having lost six of their last seven competitive games against Leipzig. 

  They had previously gone on an eight-match unbeaten run against Leipzig in all competitions (W6 D2).

• Extra-time winner dumps Dortmund out of DFB-Pokal, Leverkusen through

  Jonas Wind's extra-time winner saw Wolfsburg dump Borussia Dortmund out of the DFB-Pokal in the second round, piling more pressure on Nuri Sahin. 

  With the game goalless after 90 minutes, the encounter at the Volkswagen Arena looked destined for penalties until Wind tapped home from close range in the 117th minute. 

  Dortmund started strongly and almost took the lead early on when Maximilian Beier was sent through on goal, but struck the post with only Kamil Grabara to beat. 

  Further chances fell to Serhou Guirassy and Beier, but the visitors were unable to take advantage of their dominant first 45 minutes. 

  Wolfsburg grew into the contest after the break, and came closest in the second minute of extra-time when Tiago Thomas hit the woodwork before Wind had a header cleared off the line by Ramy Bensebaini. 

  But Denmark international Wind would have the final say, netting the winner to leave Dortmund winless in their last three games in all competitions. 

  It was, however, a more comfortable evening for holders Bayer Leverkusen, who swept aside second-tier Elversberg 3-0 on Tuesday. 

  Patrik Schick scored a brace in the first nine minutes to put Xabi Alonso's side in control, with Aleix Garcia adding Leverkusen's third with a stunning free-kick before the break. 

  Elversberg beat Leverkusen in the first round of the 2022-23 DFB-Pokal, making them the last team to beat the current holders in the competition.

  RB Leipzig, the winners of back-to-back DFB-Pokal's before Leverkusen's triumph last year, also went into the hat for the next round after a 4-2 win over St. Pauli. 

  Yussuf Poulsen and Christoph Baumgartner handed Marco Rose's side an early advantage before Morgan Guilavogui halved the deficit at the Red Bull Arena. 

  Poulsen notched his second on the half-hour mark, only for Eric Smith to score the visitors' second after the interval. 

  But Leipzig's progression was sealed by Antonio Nusa, who rounded off a fine solo run with his third goal for the club in all competitions.

• Dortmund likely to miss Ryerson for Wolfsburg trip

  Borussia Dortmund will likely be without full-back Julian Ryerson for their DFB-Pokal trip to Wolfsburg, but Nuri Sahin could welcome back Marcel Sabitzer and Waldemar Anton.

  All three players were injured during Saturday's 2-1 loss at Augsburg in the Bundesliga, as Dortmund succumbed to a second defeat in four days after squandering a 2-0 lead to lose 5-2 at Real Madrid in the Champions League.

  Speaking at Monday's pre-match press conference, coach Sahin told reporters: "I don't have high hopes for Julian Ryerson.

  "With Sabi and Waldi, every hour counts. It will only become clear towards kick-off whether they can play."

  Sahin is keen to see Dortmund tighten up at the back after losing three of their last five league matches, slipping seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

  "The goals we're conceding for the effort we're putting in are extreme. That can't happen to us. We're conceding goals too easily by making mistakes," said the former midfielder.

  "At the moment, we have so many issues of our own that it doesn't feel so easy."

  Dortmund have lost four consecutive matches on their travels in all competitions since their last DFB-Pokal outing, a 4-1 victory at Phonix Lubeck.

  They have gone unbeaten through their last three games against Wolfsburg, however, outscoring them 8-1 since suffering a 2-0 defeat at Volkswagen Arena in November 2022.