Borussia Dortmund secured an important 2-1 victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, with 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas coming off the bench to deliver a decisive second-half winner after Fabio Silva and Aitor Ruibal had exchanged goals at Signal Iduna Park.
The German side had to work hard for all three points in an entertaining encounter, with Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles producing several impressive saves before Dortmund eventually found a breakthrough through their young substitute.
Dortmund started aggressively and nearly opened the scoring within three minutes when Julian Ryerson delivered a dangerous cross from the right, but Serhou Guirassy arrived slightly too late to make meaningful contact.
The hosts continued to threaten, with Jobe Bellingham combining with Ryerson before cutting the ball back towards Guirassy in the 21st minute. However, the striker failed to direct his effort on target.
Moments later, Dortmund came even closer when Daniel Svensson connected with another excellent Ryerson delivery. The Swedish midfielder controlled the ball inside the penalty area before attempting to finish, but Valles reacted brilliantly to make a crucial save and keep Betis in the contest.
The visitors also thought they had taken the lead in the 14th minute when Antony found the back of the net, but the celebrations were short-lived as the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside against Troy Parrott during the build-up.
Dortmund suffered an early setback in the 34th minute when Guirassy was forced off with an injury to his left foot after colliding with the goalpost. Karetsas replaced the striker, giving the 18-year-old an opportunity to make an impact on the European stage.
The first half ended goalless, but Dortmund returned with greater determination and finally broke the deadlock four minutes after the restart.
In the 49th minute, Jobe Bellingham collected the ball inside the penalty area and unleashed a low effort towards goal. Valles produced an impressive save, but Silva reacted quickest to the rebound, calmly slotting the ball into the net from close range to give Dortmund a 1-0 advantage.
Karetsas nearly doubled the hosts’ lead two minutes later, but his attempt was comfortably dealt with by Valles, who continued to frustrate Dortmund’s attacking players.
The home side remained on top, although Betis briefly appealed for a foul in the 60th minute after Johnny Cardoso went down following a challenge from Felix Nmecha. The referee allowed play to continue, and Dortmund maintained their attacking momentum.
Against the run of play, Betis found an equaliser in the 67th minute after capitalising on a costly defensive mistake.
Waldemar Anton lost possession while attempting to play the ball out from the back, allowing the visitors to launch a quick attack. Abde Ezzalzouli collected the ball on the left before delivering a dangerous low cross into the penalty area, where Aitor Ruibal arrived unmarked at the far post to finish first-time beyond Gregor Kobel.
The goal made it 1-1 and threatened to derail Dortmund’s efforts, but the hosts responded almost immediately.
Three minutes after the equaliser, Bellingham came agonisingly close to restoring Dortmund’s advantage when he met Ryerson’s cross with a powerful header from close range. However, Valles produced another outstanding reflex save to deny the English midfielder.
Dortmund continued pressing, and their persistence finally paid off in the 72nd minute.
Silva collected possession outside the penalty area before releasing Karetsas with an intelligent pass. The young Greek midfielder moved into shooting position, cut onto his left foot and unleashed a low effort from approximately 17 metres, sending the ball through a defender’s legs and into the bottom corner.
The goal sent the home supporters into celebration as Dortmund regained their 2-1 advantage, with Karetsas marking his first goal for the club in spectacular fashion.
Betis attempted to respond during the closing stages, but Dortmund remained organised defensively and continued to threaten on the counterattack.
Valles made further saves to deny Bellingham and Karetsas, while Daniel Svensson missed an opportunity to put the result beyond doubt.
Betis’ frustration grew as the minutes passed, with Angel Ortiz receiving a yellow card in the 88th minute for a foul on Silva. Isco was also booked in stoppage time as the visitors struggled to find a late equaliser.
Dortmund eventually held on to secure their third victory in four Champions League league-phase matches, moving to 12 points and strengthening their position in the race for automatic qualification to the knockout stages.
For Betis, the defeat ended their unbeaten start to the competition, despite a spirited performance and another impressive display from goalkeeper Valles.
However, the evening belonged to Dortmund’s young match-winner, Karetsas, whose composed finish ensured that Silva’s goal and assist translated into a valuable European victory for Niko Kovac’s side.
Match Details
Date: November 4, 2026
Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Half-time: Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Real Betis
Full-time: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Betis
Goals:
49′ – Fabio Silva (Dortmund), rebound after Jobe Bellingham’s shot was saved.
67′ – Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis), assist: Abde Ezzalzouli.
72′ – Konstantinos Karetsas (Dortmund), assist: Fabio Silva.
Other notable incidents:
14′ – Antony’s goal ruled out for offside in the build-up.
21′ – Valles produced an excellent save to deny Daniel Svensson.
34′ – Serhou Guirassy forced off through injury.
49′ – Valles initially saved Bellingham’s effort before Silva scored the rebound.
70′ – Valles denied Bellingham with an excellent close-range save.
72′ – Karetsas scored his decisive first goal for Dortmund.
88′ – Ángel Ortiz booked.
90+3′ – Isco booked.
