Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund continued to put their off-the-field problems behind them and in the process dented Hertha Berlin's European ambitions with a deserved win at the Westfalenstadion on Sunday. Two first half strikes by Henrique Ewerthon and Ebi Smolarek put Bert van Marwijk's men in control before Arne Friedrich pulled one back mid-way through the second half. The visitors started the game brightly and created the better chances in the first 15 minutes with both Marcelinho and Gilberto Da Silva going close before Sejad Salihovic spurned the best opportunity to put Berlin ahead. A smart throughball by Thorben Marx put Salihovic in the clear, but the young striker 's shot was brilliantly saved from point blank range by Roman Weidenfeller in the Dortmund goal. It took the home side 24 minutes to register their first effort on goal but they were rewarded when a good run into the box from Ewerthon culminated in him finding the bottom right hand corner with a firm drive from 10-yards. Minutes later and Dortmund were 2-0 up, Ewerthon turned provider this time to set up Polish striker Smolarek to double the lead nine minutes before halftime.
Florian Kringe went close to sealing the game for the hosts just after the interval but his shot sailed just wide of the post. Then on 62 minutes a goal out of nothing as Berlin halved the deficit. Friedrich picked the ball up 20 yards from goal and fired an unstoppable shot past Weidenfeller into the net. The visitors improved and visably grew in confidence following their goal and Marcelinho must have though he had equalised when his blistering shot from 25-yards was arrowing for the top corner only to be spectacularly tipped wide by Weidenfeller. However, Dortmund held on for their second successive Bundesliga victory and advanced to ninth in the table while Berlin failed to capitalise on Werder Bremen's home defeat to Stuttgart and remain fifth in the Bundesliga.
