Hertha Berlin vs. Borussia Dortmund: 2016 DFB Pokal Semi-Final Score, Reaction
Borussia Dortmund booked their spot in the 2016 DFB Pokal final with a win over Hertha BSC on Wednesday, beating the Berliners 3-0 at their home ground of Olympiastadion Berlin.
Gonzalo Castro gave the visitors the lead with a stunning shot in the first half, and while Hertha had a number of chances to tie things up, Dortmund always seemed more likely to win. Marco Reus scored a second goal to liberate his team, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan put the final score on the board late in the second half.
Dortmund will play rivals Bayern Munich in the final of this year's DFB Pokal.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
As shared by BVB’s official Twitter account, star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang didn’t make the starting XI or the bench for this semi-final:
The home fans stole the show before the start of the match, and Football Mumble was kind enough to share this short clip of the atmosphere inside the iconic Olympiastadion:
"Hertha Berlin fans tonight. #Bouncingpic.twitter.com/AWm2Shq9tM
— Football Mumble (@FootballMumble) April 20, 2016"
Dortmund started the contest well, with Shinji Kagawa pulling the strings in midfield. The Japan international caused plenty of trouble early with a sharp cross, which Hertha struggled to clear.
The visitors dominated possession early, but a free-kick from Marvin Plattenhardt nearly provided the hosts with their first real chance.
The absence of Aubameyang clearly had an impact on the Dortmund attack, as replacement Adrian Ramos doesn’t bring the same dynamic threat. With less space available in the attacking third, the likes of Reus and Kagawa found it difficult to break down the Hertha defence early.
Ramos nearly burst through on goal after 13 minutes, but John Anthony Brooks spotted the danger and made a key tackle at the right time. The Colombian then put pressure on goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein with a clever lob, but the stopper was smart enough to punch the ball clear of the onrushing Reus.
With the pressure mounting, a goal seemed inevitable, and it was Kagawa who once again played a big role in the buildup to Castro’s opener. The former Manchester United man fired a cross inside the box, which was only cleared as far as Castro, who curled the ball into the top corner with a lovely strike.
Bleacher Report UK’s Lars Pollman wasn’t surprised:
BVB were hungry for more and pushed for a second goal from the restart, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan becoming more involved. Hertha struggled to put any attacking moves together, and when Jens Hegeler finally powered his way into the box, Mats Hummels was there to clean up.
As the first half wore on, the pace of the match dropped, with both teams seemingly determined to take control of the ball in the middle of the park and not work it into the danger zones.
Mkhitaryan just failed to pick out Reus with an early cross, and the Armenian nearly provided another goal with a great ball for Marcel Schmelzer. Fortunately for the hosts, Niklas Stark slid in at the last possible moment to make a huge block.
With the end of the half approaching, Dortmund suddenly had three good chances to increase their lead in quick succession. Schmelzer’s opportunity should have been a goal, and Hummels wildly blasted over the bar after an excellent run through the box.
Jarstein then produced a fine save to deny Reus, and DW Sports’ Stefan Bienkowski thought the hosts were perhaps watching the example set by Liverpool in their come-from-behind win over BVB a little too closely:
Hegeler nearly made Die Schwarzgelben pay for their misses with one of the last touches of the half, but fortunately for the visitors, stopper Roman Burki was paying attention and made the stop.
Dortmund came out of half-time looking to add to their lead, with Mkhitaryan building on his solid first-half performance. Chances were rare on either side of the pitch, however, which played right into the hands of BVB.
Ramos nearly picked out the Armenian with a clever chip, but Jarstein had it covered all the way and came off his line in time. Reus then missed an easy pass that would have sent Kagawa through on goal unmarked, playing it far too light and allowing Brooks to intercept.
Minutes later, Brooks' header landed at the feet of Salomon Kalou, who used his right foot to stretch for the ball instead of his left and pushed the ball wide of the goal as a result. The ball always should have gone in, and Bienkowski was left disappointed with what he saw from the hosts:
Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel was furious with his team and ordered them to keep attacking, and Ramos put Jarstein to work shortly after with a hard drive.
Kalou again came close, this time a header that missed the goal by inches, as Hertha suddenly piled on the pressure. But against the run of play, Dortmund took full advantage when Brooks slipped, with Kagawa and Reus exploiting the open space and combining for a second goal on the break.
Football blogger Rafael Hernandez noted the American had barely put a foot wrong until that point:
The second goal effectively killed the tie, as it suddenly halted Hertha's momentum, and BVB easily played out the match. Mkhitaryan added a third goal on the counter after some lovely work from Reus, and Hertha were lucky not to concede any more in the final 10 minutes, as BVB mustered a few more chances.
Post-Match Reaction
As shared by DW Sports, Hummels told Sky Sports he believed Dortmund deserved the win:
Dortmund certainly dominated Hertha, who looked surprisingly flat on Wednesday and barely troubled Burki. BVB's defence deserves a lot of credit for that, and the way the team bounced back after the loss against Liverpool is admirable.
Die Schwarzgelben will meet Bayern Munich in the final in Berlin for another edition of Der Klassiker. The match will be at the Olympiastadion on May 21.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
