Match Ratings: BVB Level on Points at the Top of the Bundesliga after 4-1 Win Over Hertha Berlin

Borussia Dortmund went into yesterday’s Bundesliga tie against Hertha Berlin knowing that a win would take them into second place and put them level on points with Bayern Munich in first place and Union Berlin in third. Despite a relatively lacklustre performance in the first half, BVB were able to go two goals to the good through Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen. Hertha Berlin came out quickly in the second half, scoring a couple minutes in from a goal that owed a lot to some very poor defending by several BVB players, but the Black and Yellows didn’t panic, putting the game to bed with a lovely goal from a free-kick scored by Marco Reus, before Julian Brandt capped things off with the fourth in the dying moments of the game.

BVB just keep winning in 2023, and while 4-1 probably flatters them a little, this victory was pretty comfortable. It’s nice to not have to sweat every game, for once. I’m not ready to get too carried away about the title race just yet, but I’m enjoying watching Dortmund put in dominant performances regularly right now. That’s a great start!

Here’s our player ratings for BVB’s 4-1 win against Hertha Berlin:

Starting XI

Gregor Kobel

Paul: 6

Sean: 7

Kobel didn’t have to make any crazy saves, but he did face nine shots on target and blocked eight of them. That’s a good rate by any standard, even if the shots weren’t particularly difficult. Consistency is next to godliness when it comes to goalkeeping.

Anders: 7

Julian Ryerson

Paul: 5

Sean: 6

Anders: 6

I actually really liked Ryerson’s display yesterday. He was very frantic in the first half, but the in the second half, he fought like straight up bull terrier. His style really isn’t pretty, but it’s pretty damn effective.

Nico Schlotterbeck

Paul: 6

Sean: 6

I’m torn between a six and a seven. For a player who has struggled at times this season, I thought he was pretty consistent yesterday.

Anders: 6

I mean, he won all of his aerials, but he did have trouble playing out when Hertha came out blazing in the second half. Didn’t look aware at all for Tousart’s goal, but did a good job besides that.

Mats Hummels

Paul: 6

Sean: 7

Hummels might be old, but he continues to contribute defensively when Süle or Schlotterbeck are out of the lineup.

Anders: 7

I don’t think Hertha’s only goal was on Hummels. His teammates arrived way too late to be of any help. I do think he was very solid for the rest of the match, and he shows that he still can be very consistent.

Marius Wolf

Paul: 4

Sean: 4

Not the best outing for Wolf. He had a few ugly turnovers and defensive blunders.

Anders: 4

A pretty grim display from Marius Wolf, but can you really blame him? He went from playing never to playing always, and for the large majority of time, he has done really well.

Emre Can

Paul: 7

Sean: 7

I made Can one of my Man of the Match candidates because I’ve wanted to recognize his value in the squad for a while now. By dropping into the back line he adds a ton of stability to Dortmund’s formation and makes life easier for every other defender.

Anders: 7

Salih Özcan

Paul: 4

Özcan had a pretty poor game, and it was capped off by being the player most responsible for Hertha Berlin’s only goal.

Sean: 3

I’m beginning to feel concerned about Salih Özcan’s recent string of performances. He seems to be making more mistakes in possession, and he’s not providing the same rock-solid defensive support that made him so reliable in the Fall.

Anders: 4

Özcan got absolutely bullied in midfield, and he does not seem comfortable when pressed. I’m kinda starting to doubt why we haven’t seen Mo Dahoud introduced instead of the Turkish national yet.

Marco Reus

Paul: 8

Sean: 8

Anders: 7

Am I gonna get crucified for only handing him a seven? Probably. I actually thought Marco wasn’t that great yesterday. I’ve now been looking at the replay countless times, and I’m pretty convinced, that his “assist” to Adeyemi was just a straight up shot on goal. I will give him some credit, because his freekick was just outstanding, and he did help out quite a lot on the defensive side.

Julian Brandt

Paul: 7

Sean: 8

Brandt was once again a maestro in midfield. I am not yet on #DerBrandtWagon, but he’s undeniably in phenomenal form right now. He had one assist yesterday and easily could have had more.

Anders: 7

Karim Adeyemi

Paul: 8

I thought Adeyemi was brilliant and had a genuine shout for Man of the Match despite only being on the pitch for 35 minutes. Lets hope we see him back on the pitch soon.

Sean: 8

If Adeyemi had played more minutes, I suspect this rating would have been even higher. He scored a gorgeous back heel goal and provided a nice assist to Donyell Malen even as his hamstring was ripping.

Anders: 8

What Adeyemi managed to do in 20 minutes was actually ridiculous. His finish from Reus’ “assist” was the definition of instinctive finishing, and he handed Uremovic the “Enzo-Fernandez-treatment” just before delivering a pinpoint pass to Donyell Malen. From what I’ve heard, he’s out for about three weeks, and we will certainly miss him during that period.

Donyell Malen

Paul: 7

I thought Malen was really lively. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but he was decent value for his goal and he was clearly a net positive while he was on the pitch. It’s a step in the right direction.

Sean: 7

Anders: 7

It’s really a six, but I’ll give him a +1 just for scoring his first Bundesliga goal.

Substitutions

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

Paul: 6

Sean: 7

Pacey dribblers like JBG tend to be a bit wasteful, because their playstyle of constantly attacking defenders is high-risk/high-reward. If JBG can continue to provide one assist per game, that’s enough for me.

Anders: 6

JBG was actually really wasteful in possession, but he redeemed himself by delivering an absolutely ridiculous assist for Julian Brandt. He really needs to become just all-around better, but he’s still very much fun to watch!

Jude Bellingham

Paul: 5

Sean: 6

Anders: 5

Didn’t do much, but didn’t really have to do much either. Good to finally see him get some rest.

Sebastien Haller

Paul: 5

Sean: 5

Anders: 5

Niklas Süle

N/A

Overall

Paul: 8

Good but not great. Splendid.

Sean: 8

Hertha did come on strong for 20 minutes or so and grabbed a goal, but BVB held their ground and eventually put their foot down. Dortmund were able to give Bellingham and Haller some rest and take all three points home again. Marco Reus was electric and Donyell Malen even managed to score. Overall, despite a few hiccups, it was a good day at the office.

Anders: 7

I don’t think the final scoreline is a reflection of how the game actually went. I though Hertha were brilliant - especially in the first 15-20 minutes of the second half. The Black and Yellows kinda clocked out in the second half and couldn’t really get a hold of the relegation-threatened team from the capital. BVB’s third and fourth goal were a display of individual brilliance more than a result of a well thought out offensive strategy. Don’t let this fool you! I’m still very happy with the way the team’s going! I’m just trying to be objective.

Your Thoughts?

Do you agree with our ratings?