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Marco Reus scores late winner to help Borussia Dortmund defeat Hertha Berlin

By Yahya Alikhan

BERLIN, GERMANY - MARCH 16: Players of Borussia Dortmund celebrate the win after the final whistle during the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on March 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - MARCH 16: Players of Borussia Dortmund celebrate the win after the final whistle during the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on March 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images) /
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Borussia Dortmund kept the pressure on Bayern Munich after Marco Reus scored in the dying minutes of the game to hand them a much needed victory against Hertha Berlin.

It was a rainy evening at the Olympiastadion in Berlin and Borussia Dortmund went into the match hoping to recover from a poor slump in form. It certainly wasn’t an easy game as the team was plagued with injuries. Key players such as Paco Alcacer, Axel Witsel, and the inform Mario Gotze were all missing, leaving Lucien Favre to use a makeshift attack with Brunn Larsen leading the line.

Salomon Kalou stated before the match that he always loves playing against Dortmund because he always scores. He certainly lived up to this statement as he opened the scoring for Hertha after a rare Burki error in just the fourth minute. Arne Maier’s initial shot from outside the box was poorly blocked by Burki as he put it back into play rather than grabbing onto it or parrying it out, leading to Salomons Kalou’s easy tap in from the six-yard box.

BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Salomon Kalou of Hertha BSC scores the 1:0 against Roman Buerki of Borussia Dortmund during the German Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on march 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by City-Press via Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Salomon Kalou of Hertha BSC scores the 1:0 against Roman Buerki of Borussia Dortmund during the German Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on march 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by City-Press via Getty Images) /

The Black and Yellows quickly regrouped and about 10 minutes later, Thomas Delaney drove forward into the Hertha box and opted to have a shot. With a bit of luck and a deflection which sent the keeper the other way, they were back on level terms. It was end to end stuff after that but none of Dortmund’s forwards really got into the game let alone creating any clear-cut chances.

It was Hertha who grabbed the next goal after the ball struck Weigl’s hand in the penalty area. Burki who is still yet to save a penalty for Dortmund in the Bundesliga was sent the other way as Kalou once again coolly slotted the ball home in the 35th minute. The Black and Yellows did not sit back and wait till half time but kept pushing forward to find an equalizer but to no avail.

BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Valentino Lazaro of Hertha BSC and Manuel Akanji of Borussia Dortmund during the German Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on march 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by City-Press via Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Valentino Lazaro of Hertha BSC and Manuel Akanji of Borussia Dortmund during the German Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympiastadion on march 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by City-Press via Getty Images) /

Dortmund went into the second half hoping to ignite a flame to get their attack going. And that’s exactly what happened. Jadon Sancho’s sublime corner met the head of Dan Axel Zagadou who slotted the ball into the bottom right of the goal. The spark that was missing in the first half was there in the second. Pulisic, however, played one of his worst games in a Dortmund shirt. Disappointing to see after his heroic performance off the bench against Stuttgart last week.

Ultimately it was the deadly duo of Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho who sealed the deal for Der BVB. After the chance was created by Raphaël Guerreiro, Sancho flicked it on for Reus who only needed one touch to put the ball past Jarstein.

BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund celebrates victory with teammates following the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on March 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund celebrates victory with teammates following the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on March 16, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

This was a huge victory for Dortmund not only because they are keeping up with Bayern, but also because they grabbed a win without many of their key players, and that too in spectacular fashion. After a poor slump in form following a Champions League exit at the hands of Tottenham, Favre’s men are hoping to retaliate and put their focus solely on the Bundesliga. The Black and Yellows host Wolfsburg following the international break, before they travel to Bayern Munich for the potential title decider.

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