Borussia Dortmund started their new Champions League campaign with a 3:2 home win over Villarreal, but the evening was marred by a medical emergency involving teenage star Konstantinos Karetsas. The 18-year-old Greek collapsed on the pitch and had to be taken to hospital.
The forward went down unchallenged in the 23rd minute of the match and was carried off on a stretcher. Borussia Dortmund issued an initial reassurance during the game. An official club statement said Karetsas had suffered circulation problems and was in a stable condition given the circumstances.
Concern among players and fans was high, especially as Dortmund had only just absorbed the long-term loss of striker Giannis Konstantelias ten days prior. Mats Hummels, working as a pundit for Prime Video, commented on the disturbing scenes. "When the doctors did not look at his legs at all and were only focused on his upper body, it sent a shiver down my spine," Hummels said.
Manager Niko Kovac's team did not let the shock derail them and fought for the three points. After a goalless first half, an own goal from Renato Veiga put Dortmund ahead. Villarreal equalised through Santiago Mourino before Serhou Guirassy became the match-winner.
The striker scored in the 80th minute to make it 2:1 and converted a penalty five minutes later for the 3:1 final score. Guirassy's performance was decisive for the victory. This leaves BVB in a good position after the first matchday in Europe's premier competition, looking back on a successful Bundesliga start with six points from two games and a +5:2 goal difference.
Kovac was missing six key players for the match against Villarreal. Alongside the injured Giannis Konstantelias and Justin Lerma, captain Emre Can and defender Nico Schlotterbeck were also unavailable. This forced the manager into unusual line-ups.
Kovac had already had to improvise in the first Bundesliga matches, speaking of having to "do a bit of magic". Karetsas's injury worsened the situation, leading to loanee Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal being substituted on for the Greek in the 27th minute. Nwaneri was originally brought in as cover for the ACL-injured Konstantelias. The current injury status can be tracked on our injuries page.
BVB is in strong early-season form. With two wins from two games, the team sits third in the Bundesliga. The record of six points with five goals scored and only two conceded is solid.
The next league test awaits on December 19th with an away game at currently eighth-placed RB Leipzig. Until then, the focus is on the Champions League. The full schedule is available on our fixtures page. The win against Villarreal was an important first step in the group stage.
