Borussia Dortmund will be aiming for yet another victory on Saturday when they host Hertha Berlin. The club from the capital has been one of the most in-form sides in the league since the Bundesliga’s restart and could provide a stern test for the Black and Yellows, who are almost out of the title race.
Predicted Borussia Dortmund Lineup Vs Hertha Berlin
Defence
Lucien Favre is set to miss out on the services of several key faces in the defensive department. Dan-Axel Zagadou has been ruled out for the rest of the season while Mats Hummels is out with a suspension, after picking up his fifth yellow card against SC Paderborn.
Leonardo Balerdi is always an option for coach Favre. But, the Swiss mastermind hasn’t really been fond of the young centre-back, meaning we could see Emre Can replacing Hummels. The German could slot in alongside Manuel Akanji and Lukasz Piszczek, forming the three-man backline.
Roman Burki, meanwhile, will look to improve on his performances after once again failing to retain a clean sheet in the last game. He is a guaranteed starter in between the sticks.
Midfield
Just like Zagadou, Mahmoud Dahoud has also been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. And with Can likely to feature at centre-back, in the absence of Hummels, we could see Axel Witsel return to the starting lineup. The Belgian appeared as a substitute in the last game.
This time, however, he is set to accompany Thomas Delaney in the double-pivot while Raphael Guerreiro and Achraf Hakimi are guaranteed to start as wing-backs. The creativity of these wide players could be key as Dortmund look to breach a rejuvenated Hertha team this weekend.
Attack
Jadon Sancho showcased exactly what he is capable of last weekend when he eviscerated the Paderborn defence with a hat-trick. He is destined to retain his place at right-wing. Julian Brandt is most likely to operate on the opposite flank, though youngster Giovanni Reyna is also pushing for a place in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland is a massive doubt heading into this fixture. The Norwegian whizkid missed the last game due to injury and this weekend could be no exception. He could join captain Marco Reus in Dortmund’s list of absentees, allowing Thorgan Hazard to continue leading the BVB attack against Hertha Berlin.
