Borussia Dortmund defeated Hamburger SV 2:0 at their home Westfalenstadion on Saturday. The season-opening victory was overshadowed by a serious knee injury to new midfielder Giannis Konstantelias.
Serhou Guirassy scored Dortmund's first goal of the season in the ninth minute. Konstantelias, one of three debutants in the starting lineup, made it 2:0 in first-half stoppage time. The Black and Yellows now sit third in the Bundesliga table with three points and a +2 goal difference. Their next challenge is an away match against TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon.
Dortmund completely dominated the first half. Captain Waldemar Anton stated after the match: "Wir haben eine brutal gute erste Halbzeit gespielt, eine perfekte erste Halbzeit." The opening goal was set up by new signing Konstantinos Karetsas for Guirassy. The second goal came after work from Maximilian Beier and a deflection off Sebastiaan Bornauw's knee, which Konstantelias headed home. HSV had zero corners and zero shots on target in the first half. Coach Merlin Polzin made adjustments at halftime.
Hamburg improved after the break. Albert Grönbaek had their first warning shot in the 49th minute, and Patson Daka headed onto the post in the 67th. Dortmund coach Niko Kovac made a triple substitution in the 75th minute, bringing on Samuele Inacio among others. Inacio saw a straight red card just two minutes later for a studs-up challenge. Dortmund finished the match with ten men.
The major concern is Giannis Konstantelias. The Greek newcomer suffered a knee injury in the second half and had to be substituted. Kovac expressed grave concerns: "Ich hoffe, dass es nicht allzu schlimm ist. Wobei ich dabei wenig Hoffnung habe." The coach fears a cruciate ligament tear and called it a "high price" for the win. Konstantelias reportedly heard a cracking sound. An examination on Sunday will provide clarity. The club's current injury list is available on our injuries page.
Aside from the injured Konstantelias, two other new players made their mark. Konstantinos Karetsas assisted the opening goal and showed promising signs in midfield. Joane Gadou started the match and was part of a defensively solid performance. The full overview of the squad with all players is on our squad page. The midfield was largely controlled by Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha, while Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier applied pressure on the wings.
The team must quickly focus on upcoming tasks. On Tuesday, September 1st, 2026, they face Oberliga side HEBC Hamburg in the DFB-Pokal first round at the Volksparkstadion. This is followed by the Bundesliga away game at TSG Hoffenheim. The exact dates for all matches can be found in our fixtures calendar. HSV will host 1. FSV Mainz 05 at the Volkspark on Sunday. Dortmund's focus now shifts to the cup tie and the lineup for Hoffenheim, potentially without one of their key new signings.
