Villarreal CF began their Champions League campaign with a tough 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday at the Signal Iduna Park. The match, covered by Mundo Deportivo, was defined by a costly own goal and the worrying injury to youngster Konstantinos Karetsas, who had to be stretchered off.
Iñigo Pérez's side, who sit 17th in La Liga with just 2 points from four games, showed two very different faces in Germany. They were solid in the first half, creating the best chances, but everything fell apart after the break with Renato Veiga's own goal and a Serhou Guirassy brace for Dortmund.
What happened with Karetsas's injury?
The most alarming moment of the night came in the 27th minute, when the 18-year-old Greek talent Konstantinos Karetsas had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher. According to the account from Yahoo Sports, the player was later taken to a hospital due to "circulation issues". The outlet stated it would not speculate on the nature of the problem, leaving it to medical experts.
This absence adds to the confirmed injuries of Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero on the club's injury list. Karetsas's exit, a key figure in Dortmund's midfield, forced the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri and altered the home side's plans, though it did not prevent their comeback.
How did the match in Dortmund unfold?
Villarreal delivered a very disciplined first half at the Signal Iduna Park. As detailed by Mundo Deportivo, the visiting team created the two clearest chances of the opening period through Georges Mikautadze and Tajon Buchanan. The defense, however, withstood late first-half pressure well.
The dynamic changed after halftime. In the 53rd minute, a run down the left flank by Maximilian Beier led to an unfortunate clearance by Renato Veiga that ended up in his own net. The own goal unbalanced a match that had been even until then. Although Santiago Mouriño managed a temporary equalizer for Villarreal, a late brace from Serhou Guirassy sealed the 3-2 win.
What is Villarreal's situation heading into this match?
The European defeat comes at a difficult time for Iñigo Pérez's team in domestic competition. Villarreal CF have only 2 points in La Liga, with a record of 0 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses from their first four matches. Their recent form is LLDD and they are 10 points behind leaders Barcelona.
In attack, the team has scored 6 league goals but conceded 8, leaving them with a -2 goal difference. This context makes the next fixture, a high-stakes home match against Real Betis on September 14, even more significant. Betis, fourth in the table, will visit the Cerámica in a key clash to correct the Yellow Submarine's course, as seen on the upcoming fixtures page.
Villarreal must recover quickly from this setback in Dortmund. Their next Champions League commitment will be against Napoli, according to information available on the club's stats page.
