Hertha Berlin 0-1 Borussia Dortmund: Key talking points

Salih Özcan shines on Borussia Dortmund debut

Borussia Dortmund’s win over Hertha Berlin was a victory in more ways than one as fans were treated to the debut of Salih Özcan in midfield. Özcan returned from an injury layoff that saw him miss much of pre-season, but his performance made it look like he has always been an integral part of Dortmund’s midfield.

While Özcan wasn’t one of Dortmund’s more glamorous signings over the summer transfer window, his performance against Hertha may go a long way towards cementing him as one of the most important pieces they have added to the squad. In addition to registering an assist, the Turkish international boasted a pass success percentage upwards of 84%. His performance also put him in the 96th percentile for interceptions, with the player putting in 2.83 over the course of the game.

Özcan was absolutely everywhere for Dortmund. His energy and ability to break up play is something that Dortmund have missed in midfield. Head coach Edin Terzić was quick to heap praise on Özcan for doing the simple things right:

“Football doesn’t always have to be sexy, it’s about doing the important things on the pitch. And that is what he does.”

While Özcan’s role on the pitch isn’t one that will always catch the headlines, his performances look set to be a focal point for future analyses of BVB’s overall game this season. His performances will have a substantial impact on just how well Dortmund perform in terms of breaking up the flow of the opposition they face moving forward.