Borussia Dortmund beat Real Betis 2–1 at Signal Iduna Park on Champions League Matchday 4 (Wed 4 Nov 2026), in a game that stayed goalless until half-time and then turned three times in 23 second-half minutes.
Niko Kovač made three changes to the side that drew 2–2 in Der Klassiker at Bayern Munich at the weekend, restoring Ramy Bensebaini, Julian Ryerson and Fábio Silva to the starting line-up, with Joane Gadou, Maximilian Beier and Carney Chukwuemeka dropping to the bench. Silva's start was a reward in itself: the Portuguese striker had come off the bench in Munich to score the dramatic late equaliser. Manuel Pellegrini, meanwhile, made seven changes to the Betis team that beat Málaga 2–1 in their last game — among those making way was Marc Bartra, the former Dortmund defender, who began the night on the bench against the club he made 51 competitive appearances for between 2016 and 2018.
So much of Dortmund's plan ran through Serhou Guirassy, and with reason: the striker had scored in all five of his Champions League home matches against Spanish clubs, ten goals in all. He was in the thick of it early — a Schlotterbeck ball over the top found Ryerson, whose early cross Guirassy could only glance wide, and on nine minutes he leaned back and fired over after Ryerson sent Jobe Bellingham through to the byline to cut the ball back. But there were warning signs: AP noted he picked himself up gingerly after going close in the third minute. And Betis were creating openings of their own.
Abde Ezzalzouli curled an effort wide on 13 minutes, and a minute later the visitors had the ball in the net: Deossa slipped Troy Parrott in behind, Parrott slid the ball across for Antony to slot past Gregor Kobel — but Parrott had been fractionally offside in the build-up, and the goal would not stand. Dortmund then produced the half's best moment: Schlotterbeck picked out Ryerson with another long pass, the Norwegian swung in an inch-perfect cross, and Daniel Svensson's volley from the edge of the six-yard box was met by a superb reaction save from Álvaro Valles. Ezzalzouli tested Kobel at the other end, his low effort smothered by the goalkeeper.
The half's defining moment, though, was an injury. Guirassy went down in an off-ball incident in the 31st minute, left the field for treatment and could not continue — the Guinea striker, scorer of 23 goals in 32 Champions League appearances for Dortmund (AP), was replaced by Konstantinos Karetsas. The teenager was involved at once: one run ended with him slipping the ball to Bellingham, whose shot was blocked by a sea of legs, and Betis defender Natan was booked for fouling him. But the break arrived goalless.
Karetsas nearly announced himself within 30 seconds of the restart, bending a low shot towards the bottom corner at the near post that Valles held, and Antony curled an effort over at the other end. Four minutes after the break, Dortmund led. The ball was cut back from the byline high on the right into Bellingham's path; the Englishman drilled a low shot goalwards, Valles parried it — but only into the path of Silva, who smashed home the rebound from close range (49'). AP noted Karetsas had been involved in the buildup to the opener as well.
Dortmund went looking for a second. Karetsas went on a slaloming run that ended with Valles saving well; Svensson played a one-two with Silva on the edge of the area but could not quite latch onto the return; Silva threw himself at a Ryerson cross at full extension and failed to make contact; and on 63 minutes Bellingham delivered a sumptuous cross to the far post, where Svensson's first-time finish flew high and wide. Pellegrini had just made his first changes — substitute Aitor Ruibal and club captain Isco on for Dani Ceballos and Antony — and on 67 minutes, against the run of play, Betis levelled. Waldemar Anton was dispossessed carrying the ball out of defence, Ezzalzouli spotted Ruibal's run at the far post and picked him out with a teasing low cross in behind the backline, and Ruibal finished first time from close range past Kobel.
Dortmund were level for five minutes. First, on 70 minutes, Valles produced another staggering stop — a superb reaction save from Bellingham's close-range header, Ryerson the provider again. Two minutes later the Betis goalkeeper was beaten. Silva received the ball to feet around 35 yards from goal, turned and drove at the defence before threading a pass to Karetsas at the edge of the box. The teenager needed only two touches to control it and pick his spot, hammering home into the bottom corner at the near post (72'). It was the Greek teenager's first goal for Dortmund — scored by the substitute who had only entered the game because of Guirassy's injury.
Kovač immediately made a triple change to protect the lead — Maximilian Beier, Joane Gadou and Carney Chukwuemeka on for Ryerson, Bensebaini and Felix Nmecha — and Betis still nearly stole a second equaliser: on 82 minutes an Isco corner fell kindly for Ezzalzouli inside the six-yard box with the goal gaping, but he could not prod it home and the ball rolled harmlessly wide. Silva, the night's outstanding figure, left the field in stoppage time to rapturous applause, replaced by Ethan Nwaneri, his goal and his assist the difference. The result gives Dortmund back-to-back Champions League wins for the first time this season: three wins from four league-phase games, nine points, and 12th in the league-phase standings. Next in this competition comes a trip to North London to face Arsenal on 24 November; before that, Dortmund face Elversberg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, level on points with leaders Bayern Munich and, with Bayern, one of the league's two remaining unbeaten sides (AP).
Every goal from Signal Iduna Park lives on the match's Game Center page.
