Borussia Dortmund's Champions League opener on Tuesday was an emotional mix of a key three points and major concern for a player. BVB won the home match against Villarreal 3-2, but the victory was overshadowed by young forward Konstantinos Karetsas being taken to hospital with circulatory problems.
The 18-year-old Greek collapsed with no one around him in the 27th minute. Karetsas immediately signaled to the bench that he needed assistance. After several minutes of treatment, he was carried off the Signal Iduna Park pitch on a stretcher to applause from the crowd. The club confirmed during the second half via X that the player had to leave the field due to circulatory problems and was on his way to hospital for further tests.
Sporting director Nils-Ole Book spoke after the match, saying, "He wasn't able to speak directly." Book added that the incident naturally clouded the mood significantly. Karetsas had already missed training on Monday due to fatigue. BVB must now wait for the results of the hospital examinations. The club's injury list has grown further and now includes Karetsas alongside Filippo Mané, Giannis Konstantelias, and Nico Schlotterbeck.
Despite the shock surrounding Karetsas, Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-2 victory over the Spanish side. Serhou Guirassy sealed the win with two late goals, including an 85th-minute penalty. Earlier, Santiago Mourino had equalized for Villarreal after the visitors fell behind due to an own goal.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel prevented a possible deficit for Dortmund with important saves. Manager Niko Kovac again showed a golden touch with his substitutions. Jobe Bellingham shored up the midfield and Fabio Silva was lively in attack. The Portuguese forward assisted Guirassy's 2-1 goal and could have scored himself several times if not for Villarreal keeper Peter Gulacsi. Kovac praised his team's performance after the game but admitted the opponent had more chances than he had hoped for.
Karetsas's injury highlights the strained personnel situation for the Black and Yellows. Just ten days ago, new signing Giannis Konstantelias suffered an ACL tear in the first Bundesliga match and is out for months. As a replacement for Konstantelias, BVB had quickly loaned in Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal. Ironically, Nwaneri was substituted into this very match for the injured Karetsas.
Managing director Lars Ricken appeared visibly affected by the events. "I was of course somewhat shocked," Ricken was quoted as saying. The circulatory problems had occurred very suddenly, with no prior indication. Against this backdrop, manager Kovac must again improvise for the upcoming Bundesliga home game against SC Paderborn 07 on September 12. BVB goes into that match as third in the table with six points from two wins. The team has scored five goals and conceded only two in the league so far, a solid goal difference of +3. The complete standings provide an overview of the situation.
The 3-2 victory over Villarreal is an important first step in the Champions League. Statistically, the win was deserved, with expected goals at 2.83 to 1.34 for Dortmund. The team's offensive orientation under Kovac is notable. Across the 16 league matches of the last two phases, BVB recorded the highest total number of goals in Europe at 70, an average of 4.4 goals per game.
Kovac hinted he could switch tactically between a system with two strikers and a formation with one striker and two wide forwards. Guirassy himself spoke positively about his partnership with Fabio Silva. The upcoming tasks for Dortmund are clearly defined: medical care for the injured players is the priority, while the sporting focus is on the next competitive match. All upcoming fixtures, including the clash with Paderborn, are listed in our fixtures schedule.
