Review: Borussia Dortmund vs Hertha Berlin; Poor attacking display costs BVB

Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw against 11th place Hertha Berlin. Dortmund urgently needed to grab three points from this encounter to keep their Champions League hopes alive for next season. Injury-stricken Dortmund had plenty of players that were unavailable for today’s game and a lack of experience up front proved to be costly for the Black and Yellows.

Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund

Line-ups

Hertha: Jarstein – Weiser, Stark, Lustenberger, Plattenhardt – Skjelbred (c), Maier – Lazaro, Duda, Kalou – Selke
Subs: Klinsmann, Pekarik, Darida, Leckie, Langkamp, Mittelstädt, Ibisevic
Absentees: Rekik (muscular), Jarstein (thigh)
Coach: Pal Dardai

Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek, Sokratis (c), Toprak, Toljan – Kagawa, Weigl, Götze – Pulisic, Schürrle, Sancho
Subs: Weidenfeller, Zagadou, Sahin, Yarmolenko, Isak, Akanji, Castro
Absentees: Aubameyang (left out), Schmelzer (calf), Philipp (knee), Guerreiro (thigh), Reus (rehabilitation), Rode (pelvis), Durm (ankle), Larsen (knee)
Coach: Peter Stöger

First Half:

Dortmund started the first half a little shakily after some pressure from Hertha but eventually found their feet. The game really started to kick off after a cross from Christian Pulisic found Kagawa who mistimed his header over the crossbar. Jadon Sancho was a huge threat on the wings by taking on defenders and trying to win the ball back from the opposition.

BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 19: Jadon Sancho /

The defence was looking solid as it was filled with experienced faces. Sokratis, Toprak, Piszscek were formidable for Dortmund at the back while Jeremy Toljan posed a threat both up front and at the back. What cost the Black and Yellows again was a shaky attack. Sancho was the only one who was giving the Hertha defence a headache while Schürrle and Pulisic were kept quiet. But it wasn’t only that, Dortmund were struggling to create a flow or rhythm on a tough pitch.

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The youngster Jadon Sancho had a huge opportunity after he found space on the left side of the box. However, he opted to find a teammate which proved costly and broke the move down. Christian Pulisic was also kept fairly quiet by the Hertha defence. He often found himself in positions where he was stuck trying to get past two or three defenders.

But Hertha had plenty of chances of their own. Marvin Plattenhart had curled a free kick over the crossbar just about beating Burki. Another chance in the 45th minute was wasted by Hertha after a lovely cross into the box wasn’t met by a head of Davie Selke.

All in all, even though Dortmund were controlling possession there was still a struggle to get the ball away from the middle of the park. The lack of opportunities left Peter Stöger with the question. Can Dortmund buy a goal without Aubameyang?

Second half:

The uneasiness of Dortmund eventually lead to them conceding forty-five seconds into the second half. A lovely close-range cross from Lazaro beat out of position Sokratis and found Selke who tapped it past Burki. But the problems only began to get worse. Dortmund soon found themselves struggling to keep the ball.

It wasn’t until the 55th minute when Dortmund had forced a save from Hertha Berlin keeper Thomas Kraft. Pulisic found room to shoot and powered one but was tipped over the bar by the keeper. Dortmund had survived a scare when Ondrej Duda had tapped a ball that was bound for the goal from an offside position.

The Black and Yellows then really started to pick up the pace desperately trying to find an equaliser. And the effort was rewarded. Jadon Sancho’s persistence paid off after a second attempted cross found Shinji Kagawa, who headed the ball with ease into the back of the net. And that’s when Dortmund really started to pick it up.

BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 19: Shinji Kagawa of Dortmund scores the team`s first goal during the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on January 19, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images) /

Dortmund made their first substitute in the 67th minute which saw Alexander Isak replace Mario Gotze. And the youngsters Sancho and Isak linked up brilliantly down the left wing but only to have Sancho fire wide of the net in the 82nd minute. This is when Dortmund became truly desperate to find the winner.

In a last-ditch effort to salvage three points, Peter Stöger bought on the struggling Andriy Yarmalenko in the dying moments of the game. A surprise effort from Jeremy Toljan from outside the box forced a save from Kraft who deflected it out for a corner.

And perhaps the most controversial moment of the match was when Andriy Yarmalenko had an opportunity to bury the ball in the back of the net. But was held back rendering him useless to attack the ball. Unfortunately, the referee waved away all the appeals for a penalty and both sides had to settle for a point.

Final Thoughts:

It seems that Peter Stöger might have finally solved Dortmund’s defensive issues. But are now struggling to find form upfront. The absence of Aubameyang is evidently affecting the clubs scoring as he plays a vital part in the Dortmund attack. Despite having replacements in Schürrle who had a disappointing game today. And Isak who still lacks the experience, the club needs to make a decision on whether Auba will stay or leave. And need to line up a replacement who would fit well with Dortmund’s attacking style of play.

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