Joane Gadou completed the entire preseason and was able to make a case for himself at right center-back from day one in Dortmund. He was also in BVB’s starting lineup against the Munich side. The same went for Kosta Karetsas, who caused plenty of problems on the right wing for over an hour. In the second half, Giannis Konstantelias and Joey Veerman were both given their first-ever minutes in the black-and-yellow shirt. Both had only joined their new teammates on the training pitch for the first time during the course of the training week.
Konstantelias as the new creative spark
Giannis Konstantelias probably made the biggest impression on Saturday evening. The Greek midfielder took part in training for the first time on Friday, but was still sent on in the 46th minute against Bayern Munich.Remarkably, the 23-year-old needed no time to settle in. In the 52nd minute, he almost scored with a spectacular scissor kick that was just blocked in time. After that, he was directly involved in many transition moments and shots on goal. That included Fabio Silva’s goal to make it 1-2, which Konstantelias set up with a wonderfully delicate pass. Niko Kovac was full of praise: “He did really well. The way he set up the goal, that was top class.”
With his ideas and forward drive, Konstantelias looks set to quickly earn even more minutes on the pitch.
Veerman brings vision and structure
Joey Veerman also has only a few training sessions with his new team under his belt. He made his BVB debut in the 62nd minute.Veerman immediately took responsibility in central midfield. The Dutchman brought order and passing security to a game in which Dortmund were now playing much higher up the pitch and increasingly pinned Bayern back. He switched the play, pulled the strings, and was involved in the action a lot during his brief half hour on the field. Afterwards, Niko Kovac described the new signing from Eindhoven as “a lively element” for the black-and-yellows.
Veerman himself called his first appearance in a BVB shirt “a special day” and stressed: “We want to compete for titles this season, and I want to be part of that.” His impact was less spectacular than Konstantelias’, but more about bringing structure.
18-year-old Karetsas remarkably composed
Before the Supercup, Kosta Karetsas had already shown in the friendlies at Arsenal (3-2) and against AS Roma (2-2) that he has real footballing quality.He was again a real livewire on the right side of the attack against Bayern Munich. Many BVB attacks were started by him, and shortly after the break only FCB keeper Manuel Neuer denied him his first goal at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. The 18-year-old looks remarkably composed, and he also immediately took responsibility for free-kicks and corners.
BVB coach Kovac highlighted Karetsas’ carefree style: “With Kosta, you could see the imagination he has in his game and the quality of his left foot.” For the Bundesliga opener against Hamburger SV, Karetsas remains a candidate for the starting lineup.
Gadou the fastest man on the pitch
Joane Gadou was once again in that lineup against Munich. The 19-year-old operated on the right side of the back three and impressed with his no-nonsense style. Out of possession, he never shied away from a challenge and played with real courage.“He is very quick, very uncompromising, and aggressive. It is damn difficult to get away from him,” said Kovac, also crediting the young defender with a strong performance. At more than 35 km/h, no one was clocked faster than Gadou that evening. For him, the main focus over the coming weeks will be building understanding, as the Supercup was the very first time he had played alongside fellow center-back Waldemar Anton.
Four debuts, four new options
The Supercup did not bring BVB a trophy, but it did provide important insights. Karetsas and Gadou proved they are ready for the starting XI, while Konstantelias and Veerman brought fresh impulses off the bench. All four made an excellent first impression and have only increased the excitement ahead of the Bundesliga opener next Saturday evening (6:30 p.m. on Sky).Mats-Yannick RothThis article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence.
