HAALAND SCORES FROM SPOT KICK IN FAREWELL PARTY AS DORTMUND COMEBACK TO BEAT HERTHA BERLIN.
Borussia Dortmund recovered from a goal down to beat Hertha Berlin 2-1, thanks to a late winner by teenage prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko, following a penalty equaliser from the departing Erling Braut Haaland against the league’s second-worst defence.
Having claimed a sixth runners-up spot in the previous ten league campaigns, Dortmund entered the clash with nothing tangible to play for except bragging rights. Despite being dominated from the very outset, relegation-dicing Hertha stunned the Signal Iduna with an early penalty via Ishak Belfodil, who slotted into the bottom left corner, giving shot stopper Roman Bürki no chance of saving.
‘Die Borussen’s possession play failed to stir the visitors, who found respite in soaking up pressure and playing on the back foot. Thanks to that, Hertha’s stern defence kept the Manchester City-bound Erling Haaland and co. effectively contained, as the hosts recorded no shots on target before the end of the first period.
With 68 league goals conceded to that point, it was never going to be easy for Hertha to contain the home side for long. Duly, the 65th minute witnessed an unintentional handball in the Hertha penalty area, and Haaland banged the leveller from 12 yards low past Marcel Lotka into the middle of the goal. The equaliser seemed to up Dortmund’s tempo, as the Norwegian sensation found openings on a whim. However, it was 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko who stole the show six minutes before FT, as he latched onto a precise assist and thumped in a low drive to further jeopardise the visitors’ chance of safety.
The goal demoralised Felix Magath’s men, as they failed to muster a reply. They end up in the play-off fight by virtue of Stuttgart scoring right at the death to go 2-1 up against Cologne to stay afloat, just as Halaand exited the pitch to emotional and thunderous applause on his final game for Dortmund. The visitors also extended their cycle of suffering defeats on the final matchday to six straight top-flight seasons.
