Borussia Dortmund teenager Konstantinos Karetsas earns early praise from Bayern boss Vincent Kompany

Konstantinos Karetsas made such a strong first impression for Borussia Dortmund that Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany advised a reporter to keep a close eye on the 18-year-old.

Karetsas started Dortmund’s 2-1 defeat by Bayern in the German Super Cup at Signal Iduna Park, making his first appearance for his new club. Although Dortmund were unable to claim the trophy, the Greece international attracted attention with a lively display.

The teenager showed confidence in one-on-one situations and impressed with his dribbling, passing and ability to create openings. His movement drew an enthusiastic response from the home supporters on several occasions as he looked comfortable against the German champions.

Karetsas joined Borussia Dortmund from Belgian club Genk this summer in a deal worth €30m. He emerged into Genk’s first team at a remarkably young age and made a significant impact during the previous campaign.

According to German newspaper Bild, Kompany was particularly impressed by Karetsas after the German Super Cup meeting. The Bayern manager, who is Belgian, is reported to have discussed the young player with Bild’s Borussia Dortmund correspondent Michel Schroder in the stadium corridors after the final whistle.

Schroder said Kompany spoke positively about Dortmund and highlighted the qualities of their new signing. The reporter said the Bayern boss described Karetsas as “very good” and recommended that he be watched closely.

Schroder also suggested that Kompany’s comments gave the impression that he had been familiar with Karetsas for some time. The Bild correspondent added that the Bayern manager “likes him a lot”.

Karetsas’ reputation had already grown during his final season with Genk. He provided 11 assists in the Belgian league, while in 11 Europa League appearances he scored twice and created five further goals.

Kompany is not the only observer to have been encouraged by the teenager’s early showing. Schroder believes Karetsas has the attributes required to become one of Borussia Dortmund’s leading players in the coming years and could quickly develop into a firm favourite with the club’s supporters.

The praise arrives only days after Karetsas’ debut against Bayern and underlines the impression he made despite Dortmund’s failure to avoid defeat. His performance could not prevent Bayern from winning 2-1 and lifting the German Super Cup, but it gave Dortmund fans an early indication of what their new €30m signing may offer.

Born and raised in Belgium, Karetsas previously played for Genk before moving to Dortmund. His first competitive appearance for the club has already generated considerable interest, with attention now focused on how quickly the young Greek can establish himself in the Bundesliga.