Hertha Berlin 0-1 Borussia Dortmund: Key talking points

Final thoughts and looking ahead

While Borussia Dortmund’s performance against Hertha didn’t produce a slew of goals, it was a decent reaction to last week’s loss to Werder Bremen. For Modeste, it was a statement performance showing that if the team plays to his strengths, he can be a useful player going forward. For Özcan, it was a way to announce himself and throw down the gauntlet to his teammates in midfield; to state that he is here to be an integral part of what Dortmund are trying to build.

Furthermore, it was a result that showed the team is capable of withstanding an opposition onslaught and coming away with a clean sheet. Gregor Kobel and Nico Schlotterbeck both played a  big role in making sure this was the case with immense performances that deserve a mention, but the further involvement of both Modeste and Özcan went a long way in helping make sure their efforts weren’t in vain this time around.

Borussia Dortmund can look forward to playing at home this coming Friday. Hoffenheim have been quite the bogey team for Dortmund over the last several years. They have also only lost one game so far this season, winning each of their last three. The propensity to score goals will mean BVB will need to work on their defensive solidity ahead of the game, and its likely that Özcan, Schlotterbeck and Kobel will all be called upon to come up big on the defensive end of the pitch to ensure the team comes away with all three points.