Konstantinos Karetsas secures Champions League win for Borussia Dortmund

Konstantinos Karetsas transforms Borussia Dortmund against Real Betis

Wie ein Hase schlägt er seine Haken und ist damit schwer zu verteidigen, Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac said after 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas came off the bench to secure a 2-1 Champions League victory over Real Betis Sevilla on November 5, 2026. Konstantinos Karetsas has made Borussia Dortmund celebrate on the international stage once again.

The match began with early turbulence for the hosts as forward Serhou Guirassy departed in the first half due to an injury, forcing an unplanned tactical adjustment, though other health interruptions mentioned by the sources were not part of this specific sequence. Instead, Karetsas entered the fray in the 34th minute. The BVB was superior but initially squandered its few clear-scoring chances in front of 81,365 spectators before Guirassy limped off the pitch early on.

The restroom delay before the decisive winner

A comical logistical hurdle nearly prevented the substitution entirely when Kovac attempted to summon his young midfielder, noting that Karetsas was briefly inside the stadium restroom when the coaching staff looked for him. Ich habe ihn gesucht, aber nicht gesehen, Kovac told reporters with a grin. Er hatte Glück, dass er rechtzeitig zurückgekommen ist. In the frantic moment, there was no time left for instructions before the change, as Karetsas revealed.

After Fabio Silva opened the scoring for Dortmund in the 49th minute with a rebound tap-in, and Real Betis equalized through Aitor Ruibal in the 67th minute, the 18-year-old settled the contest. In the 72nd minute, receiving a pass from Silva, Karetsas used a single touch to evade his marker before beating the Spanish goalkeeper with a low shot into the near post.

Balancing offensive brilliance with physical development

Karetsas expressed his relief and gratitude in a post-match interview with DAZN, stating he felt gut und gesund and appreciated the team performance. Ich bin super dankbar für diesen Moment, Karetsas told the DAZN microphone. Das war eine tolle Teamleistung. Ich bin sehr glücklich, ich könnte nicht dankbarer sein.

Despite the decisive impact, Kovac pointed out that the teenager still requires time to adapt to the physical demands of German football. Defensiv hat er etwas aufzuholen, Kovac observed, adding that defensive shortcomings are easily forgiven when the player performs such magic in the final third. Karetsas acknowledged those physical standards himself, noting his desire to grow accustomed to the physical intensity of the Bundesliga.

Immediate start promised for the upcoming Elversberg fixture

Breaking from his usual routine of withholding lineup decisions, Kovac confirmed immediately after the final whistle that Karetsas will feature in the starting XI for the upcoming Bundesliga match against Elversberg on Saturday. The fixture kicks off at 15:30 local time and will be broadcast via radio reportage on WDR.

As Dortmund prepares for demanding European fixtures ahead—including matches against Arsenal, Inter Milan, and Aston Villa—the club continues to lean on the collective resilience that has defined their autumn campaign. With three victories from four matches, the team moved closer to their objective of direct qualification for the round of 16.

More on this story: Champions League: Konstantinos Karetsas scores first Borussia Dortmund goal in 2-1 win over Real Betis

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