Hertha BSC 2-5 Borussia Dortmund: Talking points as Erling Haaland leads BVB to victory

Redemption for Brandt and Guerreiro: Second half display rectifies first half woes

If the game had ended at half-time with Borussia Dortmund losing, then the finger could’ve been pointed at many a player, but none more so in my eyes than the lackadaisical displays put in by both Raphaël Guerreiro and Julian Brandt, two players I usually have nothing but good things to say about. Rapha and Brandt had dismal first halves however, performances that can’t be entirely ignored.

In Brandt’s case, there seems to be a trend this season, just as there was last year at the start of the season, where he had a spell of games that saw him be very loose with the ball at times. In the first half of this game especially, it seemed that Brandt was not on the same wavelength as his teammates, misplacing passes or often being the target of a turnover in possession which would eventually lead to a dangerous Hertha chance.

Guerreiro seemed to struggle a bit with his decision making as well, which was pretty shocking to see. The utility man has often been one of the standout performers and solid creative outlets for Dortmund all season, chipping in with a goal and 4 assists in the Bundesliga to date. At the end of the first half, Rapha had a glaring chance to equalise for his side, but chose to pass to Haaland, who was not expecting the pass. Haaland’s second half performance would make this choice forgivable, but at that moment, Rapha’s decision was mind boggling for onlookers and teammates alike.

Thankfully, Dortmund had a second half that was poised to provide both players with redemption, and both took their opportunities to play crucial roles in getting all three points. Brandt, on his part, provided a very intelligent assist for Haaland’s second goal, the complete opposite of his wayward passing in the first half. This pass was calculated and telegraphed; the sort of play one would expect from him. Rapha would end up salvaging his display with a much more solid defensive effort, highlighted by a point blank block on a Peter Pekarík header, averting a very dangerous Hertha chance in the 51st minute. His clever positioning and inventiveness for the fourth goal capped off a complete turnaround for him. A deft flick after missing his first opportunity put the ball past Schwolow, and the game out of reach for Hertha.

While I wouldn’t necessarily be too worried about Guerreiro, I think the first half was a bit more reflective of Brandt’s displays this season. The German International has not started many matches since the season began, so this may play a role in the fact that he has been less sharp than one would usually expect, but Dortmund will hope that their creative maestro will be able to string together a higher percentage of accurate passes going forward, and to return to the form that saw him boss the midfield with great elegance last season.