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Hertha Berlin 2-3 Borussia Dortmund: Key Talking Points

By Brian Szlenk Straub

16 March 2019, Berlin: Soccer: Bundesliga, Hertha BSC - Borussia Dortmund, 26th matchday. Dortmund's players cheer for goal. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Andreas Gora/picture alliance via Getty Images)
16 March 2019, Berlin: Soccer: Bundesliga, Hertha BSC - Borussia Dortmund, 26th matchday. Dortmund's players cheer for goal. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Andreas Gora/picture alliance via Getty Images) /
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BERLIN, GERMANY – MARCH 16: Vedad Ibisevic of Hertha BSC clashes with Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund during 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: Vedad Ibisevic of Hertha BSC clashes with Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund during 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) /

Drama, Penalties and Cards

When fans look back at this match, it will be remembered not only for its goals and pulsating finish, but also for the drama and referee decisions that really shaped the outcome after the final whistle was blown. The first of these moments to look at was the controversial penalty call against Weigl’s alleged handball in the 34th minute. While it can’t be denied that Ondrej Duda’s shot hits Weigl’s arm in the box, the handball is clearly not intentional.

In my view, Weigl was using his arm to shield himself from impact rather than impeding the ball from reaching an intended target of a pass or stopping a shot on goal, which makes the referee’s decision questionable. Of course, there is also the VAR aspect to take into account, but the referee did not look to even ask for any assurance from VAR, which goes to show he was intent on his decision.

In spite of this, Dortmund could have conceded a much clearer penalty through Diallo later in the match, which the referee looked keen to wave on, potentially in an attempt to make up for his earlier call. While I’m clearly glad the second penalty wasn’t given, it certainly had a better case behind it than the first did.

The other moments worth mentioning in this section would surely be the two red cards Hertha picked up in the latter stages of the second half. The first of these was for Jordan Torunarigha, who picked up his second yellow card for a foul he’d committed in the 85th minute. His absence surely contributed to Dortmund finding both the space and inspiration for their final push to seal the win.

The second red card was far more interesting however. Deep into stoppage time, Hertha captain Vedad Ibišević got his marching orders from the referee after intentionally throwing the ball at Roman Bürki’s head. This led to a few moments of chaos with members of both teams getting involved in finger pointing and very frank discussions about what had occurred. The second red however did not change the result much as Dortmund’s win at this point was almost a forgone conclusion.

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