Dream11 Fantasy Soccer: Borussia Dortmund v. Hertha Berlin Preview

Game Preview

Borussia Dortmund are coming off a huge 6-1 win over Paderborn last week, and while that result kept their title chances alive, Lucien Favre's men know they have their backs against the wall since they sit seven points behind Bayern Munich with five games to play. They are clear favorites to win Saturday, but their title pursuit might be all but over. Hertha Berlin, on the other hand, are yet to lose a game since the league resumed last month and enter on a six-game undefeated streak (W3, D3). They are unlikely to pull the upset over Dortmund, but they still represent a capable threat.

Recent Form

Borussia Dortmund: W4, L1

Hertha Berlin: W3, D2

Team News

Borussia Dortmund

OUT: Mahmoud Dahoud (knee), Marco Reus (groin), Nico Schulz (groin), Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), Luca Unbehaun (knee), Mats Hummels (suspension)

Doubtful: Erling Haaland (knee)

Hertha Berlin

OUT: Santiago Ascacibar (foot), Thomas Kraft (back), Matheus Cunha (concussion), Marius Wolf (ankle), Salomon Kalou (suspension), Marvin Plattenhardt (concussion)

Doubtful: Karim Rekik (knee), Niklas Stark (groin), Per Skjelbred (undisclosed)

Expected Lineups

Borussia Dortmund: Roman Burki; Lukasz Piszczek, Emre Can, Manuel Akanji; Achraf Hakimi, Thomas Delaney, Julian Brandt, Raphael Guerreiro; Thorgan Hazard, Jadon Sancho; Erling Haaland (Mario Gotze)

Hertha Berlin: Rune Jarstein; Dedryck Boyata, Peter Pekarik, Jordan Torunarigha, Maximilian Mittelstadt; Vladimir Darida, Per Skjelbred, Marko Grujic; Dodi Lukebakio, Javairo Dilrosun, Vedad Ibisevic

Top Picks

Jadon Sancho, Dortmund: Sancho is coming off a three-goal outburst against Paderborn last week and should be a popular pick once again with Erling Haaland uncertain to play due to injury. The Englishman has netted 17 goals to go with 17 assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances this season, and he could be in line for another solid performance against Hertha.

Achraf Hakimi, Dortmund: Hakimi's value would increase considerably if points were given for crosses and chances created, but the Morocco international still provides upside for Dortmund from his right wing-back role. He has scored five goals while setting up 10 more this season, very strong figures for a defender.

Lineup Strategies

Load up on Dortmund attacking players: The potential absence of Haaland leaves a void on Dortmund's attacking line that is quite hard to replace, and even if he plays, he might not be ready to play 90 minutes. Sancho bagged a hat trick last week and, even though he has already netted 17 times in 27 starts, he is not a lock to score on a weekly basis. As such, it's better to include as many attacking options as possible. Virtually every final-third player on Dortmund has a realistic chance of finding the back of the net in any given match.

Players to target on Hertha Berlin: Dedryck Boyata (9.0 credits) can be useful on set-piece plays and should rack up defensive stats even if he doesn't get a clean sheet. Vedad Ibisevic (9.5 credits) will have the task of leading the attacking line and might get a few chances. Maximilian Mittelstadt (8.5 credits) and Vladimir Darida (9.0 credits) might be decent alternatives, too. Hertha do not have much upside, but that does not mean they won't have useful players available.

Captain and Vice-Captain Options

1. Jadon Sancho
2. Achraf Hakimi
3. Raphael Guerreiro
4. Dedryck Boyata

Dream11 Team

GK: Roman Burki

DF: Achraf Hakimi (VC)

DF: Manuel Akanji

DF: Dedryck Boyata

DF: Maximilian Mittelstadt

MF: Raphael Guerreiro

MF: Julian Brandt

MF: Marko Grujic

FW: Jadon Sancho (C)

FW: Thorgan Hazard

FW: Vedad Ibisevic

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are of the author and is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn.