"Joey Veerman is Rodri 2.0" - Fans react as Dortmund beat Villarreal in Champions League opener
Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3-2 in their opening match of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season on Tuesday but fans weren't convinced entirely.
All five goals of the match came in the second half, with Serhou Guirassy netting a late brace, although he then turned the ball into his own net in stoppage-time to reduce Villarreal's deficit.
Having already been riddled with injuries, the BVB were dealt another blow midway through the opening stanza when Konstantinos Karetsas went off with a circulation problem.
Much like in their game against Hoffenheim at the weekend, Niko Kovac's side didn't control the proceedings with authority and relied on some late goals to get them through.
But the win means Dortmund start their new European campaign with three points. Here's how fans reacted to the result on X:
One X user gave an unfavorable assessment of BVB's performance:
It really wasn’t a good game. We didn’t manage to create many chances, and we failed to impose ourselves clearly on a weaker opponent, especially playing at home. Once Fabio Silva came on, our attack and the whole game changed completely.
The sentiment was echoed by another fan, who tweeted:
Man... in terms of football, it really isn't good—and it stays that way. Kovac needs to start delivering with this squad; it simply isn't enough. Even defensively, things are anything but stable these days.
This X user even mentioned the stars of last night's game:
Important win! - Joey Veerman is basically Rodri 2.0 – Gadou is such a monster - Guirassy with another world-class performance - Fabio Silva in top form; he has such an impact on our game - Nwaneri very strong – it really gives you hope again
One fan felt this team could struggle against bigger oppositions:
As the opposition gets tougher, we’re bound to suffer a few more defeats; the match against VfB will be extremely difficult. Furthermore, I haven’t seen any development in the attack for years. There are very few goal-scoring chances created. The defense is also looking a bit shakier this year.
This X user too gave his breakdown of what he called an 'awesome' night in Dortmund:
Yessssss
Defensively all over the place, but much improved in terms of footballing quality
Make Anton captain
Gadou is a monster
Veerman is a massive upgrade over Jobe
Nwaneri is a brilliant baller (especially in the right half-space)
Guirassy has a world-class attitude
Ryerson is a tough bastard
Beier is not a wing-back
Awesome night
The Guirassy-Silva strike partnership also got a special mention by this user:
Silva and Guirassy as a strike partnership, with Karetsas playing behind them. But we all know Kovač won't start Silva. It’s unbelievable that we almost let him go.
This one X user felt BVB can't rely on fortunes every time:
There haven't really been any tough opponents so far, yet they're already scraping by with lucky wins; we all know BVB—that luck will run out very soon. You won't achieve anything with Beier and Sabitzer. Beier has been terrible.
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