Borussia Dortmund lost the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup 2-1 to Bayern Munich on Saturday, but the debuts of Greek summer signings Kostantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias provided encouraging signs. Coach Niko Kovač explicitly praised the duo for their performances after the defeat.
“All four showed why we signed them,” said Kovač, referring to Karetsas, Konstantelias and fellow newcomers Joane Gadou and Joey Veerman. The two Greeks stood out in particular. The 18-year-old Karetsas started on the right wing and immediately displayed his pace and creativity. As early as the 14th minute, his whipped cross nearly led to the opening goal, had Samuele Inácio been able to apply the finish. Karetsas was Dortmund's most dangerous attacker on the night with two shots and an assist.
“With Kosta, you could see what a creative player he is and what a great left foot he has,” Kovač praised after the final whistle. It was no one-off display. Karetsas had already scored a fine solo goal in the pre-season friendly against Arsenal shortly after his arrival and also started against Roma. Sporting director Lars Ricken was impressed after the 3-2 win over the Gunners: “I was particularly impressed by how alert Kosta was after just five days of training.”
Konstantelias with key assist
Konstantelias, who had joined from PAOK just a week earlier, also received special praise after coming on at half-time for Inácio. The 23-year-old was instrumental in Dortmund's consolation goal. He dribbled in from the left and played a clever pass into the run of Daniel Svensson, whose cross was converted by Fábio Silva for 2-1. Konstantelias was otherwise secure in possession, completing all 16 of his passes.
“He did really well,” said Kovač of the Greek. “The way he set up that goal was top-notch.” The Supercup defeat stings, but the rapid integration of the new signings offers hope for the upcoming season. The full schedule can be found on the fixtures page. The squad list including all newcomers is available in the team section.
The next task for Kovač and his team arrives this weekend with the Bundesliga opener. Preparation for that match will now be the focus, with the initial impressions of the new attacking players overwhelmingly positive.
