Dortmund's Kovač and Ryerson content after "dictating the game" against Betis

BVB's coach and full-back gave mixed responses after their 2-1 win over Real Betis, however the mood music was generally very positive from both.

Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images.

Niko Kovač was a happy man after his Borussia Dortmund side ground out a 2-1 win over Real Betis tonight in the Champions League.

“I’m very pleased with my team. We dictated the game for long periods and kept it under control," Kovač said in his post-match interview.

"It wasn’t easy, partly because we lost Serhou [Guirassy] to injury early on. But I’m delighted that Konstantinos [Karetsas] came on.

“He did his job very well and scored too. It’s good to get such a positive boost from the bench,” Dortmund's head coach explained.

Producing a vital assist while being very attack minded on the night, Julian Ryerson was a little annoyed they didn't put the game to bed earlier.

“We should have settled this match earlier today – I think everyone could see that," the full-back said in the mixed zone afterwards.

"We made it unnecessarily tense. We were aware of their strengths, but we also knew where their weaknesses lay.

“We often exploited those weaknesses well and created plenty of chances. In the end, we came away with a win this evening,” he summarised.

With a one fixture to go before the last international break of 2027, Dortmund will turn their focus to SV Elversberg this Saturday.