Borussia Dortmund maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 3-1 victory over Hertha Berlin at Signal Iduna Park this afternoon.
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Hertha had two good opportunities to take a shock lead early on, as Mats Hummels had to rush back to prevent Genki Haraguchi from finding the net after the Japanese forward was played through behind the Dortmund defence, before Vladimir Darida struck a half-volley straight at Dortmund keeper Roman Burki.
The visitors were made to pay for their profligacy on 27 minutes, when Dortmund captain Hummels met an inviting cross from Shinji Kagawa after a short corner to give Thomas Tuchel's side the lead.
Dortmund maintained control of possession before half time, and the side could have doubled their lead when Matthias Ginter headed over the bar from a Marco Reus free kick.
After the break Die Borussen increased the pressure on the Hertha defence, and had a penalty shout turned down after Peter Pekarik was deemed to have played the ball when denying Henrikh Mkhitaryan an opportunity to double the hosts' lead.
Dortmund did not wait long to find their second goal though, and on on 51 minutes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rounded off a neat passing move between Kagawa and Ginter to make it 2-0.
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The hosts looked in complete control of the match after the second goal, as Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang missed good opportunities to add to the scoresheet, before Ilkay Gundagon was presented with an opportunity from close range only to be denied by Thomas Kraft.
Hertha found a way back into the match on 78 minutes through substitute Salomon Kalou, who finished from close range after Burki had saved an initial effort by Darida.
The visitors began to find some momentum in the game's closing moments, but it was Dortmund who had the best chance to secure the win on 84 minutes, as Mkhitaryan rounded Hertha goalkeeper Kraft before lifting his shot over the bar.
Die Borussen did wrap the victory up in added time though, as substitute Adrian Ramos produced a clinical finish to round off a neat exchange in the box between Kagawa and Mkhitaryan.
The win means that Tuchel has won all eight of his first competitive fixtures in charge at Dortmund.
Stephen Topping
