Dortmund Beat Real Betis 2-1 as Silva and Karetsas Score in Champions League

Borussia Dortmund moved closer to the Champions League knockout places with a 2-1 home win over Real Betis at BVB Stadion Dortmund on Wednesday, November 4. Fabio Silva opened the scoring and Konstantinos Karetsas got the winner, while Aitor Ruibal reduced the deficit for Betis, who made a late push.

Dortmund in control

Dortmund were the stronger side for most of the match and deserved their victory, although the closing minutes were tense. The three points take them up to 12th in the league phase table. They are currently only outside the automatic qualification places on goal difference.

The task ahead remains demanding. Dortmund's next Champions League opponents are Arsenal and Inter Milan, so they still have a lot to do to reach the knockout stages. The win keeps them in contention.

Player performances

Karetsas came on about half an hour into the game, replacing the injured Serhou Guirassy. He worked hard without the ball and was a constant danger in and around the Betis penalty area. His winning goal settled the match.

Silva gave Dortmund the lead and also set up Karetsas's winner. He was involved in most of what Dortmund did going forward, linked up well with his teammates and came close to scoring again on several occasions.

Jobe Bellingham was also highlighted for his performance. He played further forward than usual, a role similar to the one he had against Bayern Munich at the weekend, and handled it comfortably. He did not score, and saves from Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Vallés denied him on more than one occasion.

Julian Ryerson was again active down the right flank throughout the match. His crosses into the box posed a steady threat, although none of them led to a goal.

Fan voting

The four players above were nominated for Man of the Match in the fan poll following the game. Readers were invited to share in the comments which player impressed them most in Dortmund's victory.