Hertha Berlin vs. Borussia Dortmund: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Hertha BSC host Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 20 of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season on Saturday.
It's the matchup of third versus second in the league table, but that doesn't make it a six-pointer by any stretch of the imagination, as Saturday's visitors have a comfortable 10-point cushion over the club from the capital.
Undoubtedly the biggest positive surprise of the season so far, German football's Old Lady were largely tipped to be in the fight against relegation in Pal Dardai's first full season in charge. The Hungarian is a club legend, having appeared in 286 matches in the top flight for Hertha—a club record to this day, per Transfermarkt.
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His side were the big overachievers in the first half of the season, as illustrated by the fact they won 10 games while only scoring 26 goals. Their position in the table says as much or more about the rest of the league, and clubs such as VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach than Berlin themselves.
Most onlookers expect Hertha to drop down the table considerably in the second half of the season. Dustin Ward of StatsBomb, for example, wrote "this still is far from an above-average side. A top-six finish would be fantastic."
Dortmund, on the other hand, are most certainly an above-average side. In fact, the Black and Yellows are the best second-placed team in the history of the Bundesliga at this point, per Thursday's edition of German magazine Kicker.
A win in Berlin would allow the Black and Yellows to get ready for UEFA Champions League football next season, and even a loss in the Olympiastadion wouldn't hurt their chances too much.
Trips to the capital have been pleasant in recent years, per Dortmund's website: "BVB have only lost one of their last five away games 'an der Spree'. Hertha won the fixture 1-0 last season. The winning goal that day is the only goal Hertha have scored in their last five home games against Borussia."
The Ruhr side also won the first meeting of this season, beating Hertha fairly comfortably at home, 3-1.
Date: Saturday, February 6
Time: 2.30 p.m. GMT/9.30 a.m. ET/3.30 p.m. local time
Venue: Olympiastadion, Berlin
TV Info: FS 1 (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Form Guide
| Hertha | Dortmund |
| Darmstadt: Win (4-0) | Frankfurt: Win (4-1) |
| Nurnberg: Win (2-0) | Augsburg: Win (2-0) |
| Mainz: Win (2-0) | Cologne: Loss (2-1) |
| Augsburg: Draw (0-0) | Gladbach: Win (3-1) |
| Bremen: Draw (3-3) | Ingolstadt: Win (2-0) |
Predicted Lineups
Hertha
Predicted starting XI: Jarstein; Weiser, Langkamp, Brooks, Plattenhardt; Darida, Lustenberger; Kalou, Baumjohann, Cigerci; Ibisevic.
Midfielder Per Skjelbred is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the draw at Werder Bremen last time out. Vladimir Darida is likely to drop a bit deeper than usual to form a double pivot with Fabian Lustenberger, so Alexander Baumjohann could take up the No. 10 spot.
Genki Haraguchi had to abandon Thursday's team training session after a collision with John Brooks and is feared to have picked up a concussion, per Kicker. If he can't play, Tolga Cigerci would be a logical replacement.
Dortmund
Predicted starting XI: Burki; Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gundogan, Weigl, Kagawa; Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Reus.
Marcel Schmelzer, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus are set to return to Thomas Tuchel's lineup after missing Dortmund's most recent outing, a controversial 2-0 victory over FC Ingolstadt.
The 42-year-old head coach said in his press conference on Friday that Reus trained without complaints all week and is good to go for the match but still lacks some trust in his body after nagging adductor problems.
With three regular starters returning and Sven Bender still not available to challenge Sokratis Papastathopoulos in central defence, it seems as though the only contest for a spot in the XI is between Shinji Kagawa and Gonzalo Castro, as we touched upon on Thursday.
Players to Watch
Darida has scored the opener in four of Hertha's last six games, per stat provider Opta on Twitter. While it's likely that he'll have to take on more defensive responsibilities with Skjelbred missing the game, the Czech Republic international is a player Dortmund will have to keep a keen eye on.
His screamer against Bremen on the previous matchday shows he can score from anywhere on the pitch.
As for the visitors, Gundogan's return to the lineup will help a great deal. His creativity was sorely missed against promoted side Ingolstadt, with Dortmund probably playing one of their worst matches all season footballing-wise.
Especially if Hertha try to press high up the pitch, Gundogan's passing ability and vision will be important for Dortmund to get past the first line of defence.
Key Battles
Hertha's Full-Backs vs. Dortmund's Wingers
When Marvin Plattenhardt and Mitchell Weiser meet with Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, it'll be strength against strength. The two young German full-backs are a major reason for Berlin's surprisingly strong performances this season, but BVB's superstars will perhaps be their biggest test yet.
That being said, Reus and Mkhitaryan will also have to work defensively against their opponents on the flanks. Weiser is agile going forward and often bombs down his right side, while Plattenhardt has a fine left foot. His crosses are often well-timed, and his dead-ball delivery is dangerous; he's scored two direct free-kick goals this season, the last of which came against Bremen on the previous matchday.
How Will Dortmund Counter Hertha's Approach?
In the first meeting of the season, Dardai played with five at the back at almost all times, but Dortmund picked Hertha apart after getting set. The Black and Yellows were dominant beyond the scoreline—Berlin's goal came from a clear offside position too.
However, the 39-year-old has indicated his approach to Saturday's game will be different. He said in his press conference on Thursday that Hertha want to play more offensively in front of their home crowd, per Kicker. The Olympiastadion is sold out for the first time all season.
Still, defence is clearly his side's strength, as the graphic below shows.
Dortmund could struggle if Hertha make it a physical battle in midfield. Pressing their midfielders is still the best way to get the Black and Yellows off their game, as Ingolstadt proved to great effect for large portions of Dortmund's last match.
If the hosts sit deep and try to grind out a result, Dortmund have shown time and time again this season they have both the quality and the patience on the ball to pick them apart sooner or later.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Hertha: 203-50
Draw: 69-25
Dortmund: 100-147
Lars Pollmann is a Featured Columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for YellowWallPod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
