BVB Beat HSV in Bundesliga Opener
- Borussia Dortmund beat Hamburger SV 2-0 in their Bundesliga opener, with summer signings Karetsas and Konstantelias directly involved in both goals.
- Konstantelias was substituted off in the 54th minute holding his left knee after a second-half challenge, with the severity of the injury unconfirmed.
- HSV are racing to re-sign Arsenal midfielder Fábio Vieira on loan before the transfer window closes on 1 September, with sporting director Kathleen Krüger confirming intensive
Borussia Dortmund opened their Bundesliga campaign with a controlled 2-0 victory over Hamburger SV at Signal Iduna Park on 29 August, but the result was overshadowed by a concerning injury to new signing Giannis Konstantelias, who was carried off clutching his left knee in the second half.
Greek duo shine on league debut
Konstantelias, 23, and fellow summer recruit Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, made their first Bundesliga starts for Dortmund having previously featured in the Franz-Beckenbauer-Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich. Their combined contribution defined the first half entirely. Karetsas — signed from Genk for a reported €30 million — released Moussa Guirassy with a neat one-two in the eighth minute, the striker converting to give Dortmund the lead. Just before the interval, Konstantelias — who cost €26 million from Thessaloniki — found the net with a deflected effort that crept in on the stroke of half-time to make it 2-0. The stadium played the Sirtaki over the public address system at the break in an impromptu tribute to the pair.
BVB captain Waldemar Anton, speaking to Sky, was unequivocal in his praise: "We saw their qualities today. I am very, very glad we have them both with us."
Injury clouds Dortmund's celebrations
The mood darkened early in the second period when Konstantelias went down after a challenge with HSV's Jatta, lying on the pitch with his hands over his face and gripping his left knee. Medical staff attended quickly, but he could not continue and was replaced by Marcel Sabitzer in the 54th minute. The severity of the injury was not confirmed at time of writing.
Dortmund's difficulties compounded when substitute Inacio, introduced just two minutes earlier, was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Grønbaek in the 77th minute, leaving the home side to defend the result with ten men. HSV had earlier hit the post through Daka in the 67th minute, providing the closest thing to a serious threat they mustered all evening. Despite the red card, Dortmund held on for their first three points of the season — a welcome response following their Supercup setback and on a weekend when other Bundesliga sides also got their campaigns under way.
A chastening opener for HSV
For Hamburg, the occasion carried its own subplot: 16-year-old Louis Lemke made his first Bundesliga starting appearance, one of the few positives to emerge from a lopsided opening forty-five minutes in which HSV registered no shots to Dortmund's fourteen. Captain Nicolai Remberg acknowledged the scale of the problem. "We let ourselves get pushed too deep in the first half and never really got into our press," he said. "After the break we were much better, but to compete here it has to be like that from the first minute. It's a defeat, that's rubbish. But we leave with a reasonable feeling."
Vieira transfer chase intensifies
Hamburg are working urgently to address their attacking deficiencies before the transfer window closes on 1 September at 18:00. The club is understood to be pressing hard to bring Arsenal midfielder Fábio Vieira, 26, back on loan after the Portuguese contributed seven goals and six assists during a loan spell last season. HSV sporting director Kathleen Krüger, speaking before kick-off, did not conceal the club's intent: "I can reassure all HSV fans — we are working very, very intensively in the transfer market. And he would of course suit us well." Whether a deal can be concluded before the deadline remains uncertain.
With Konstantelias's fitness in doubt, the urgency around Dortmund's injury assessment will dominate the immediate headlines; a full prognosis for the Greek international is likely to determine how BVB plan the weeks ahead.
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