Borussia Dortmund reached the final of the German Cup for the fourth time in five years by beating Hertha BSC comprehensively 3-0 in the Olympiastadion. The Black and Yellows will go up against Bayern Munich in the very same venue in May in the final.
It was exactly the kind of match Dortmund fans had hoped for, as their team did not allow Hertha to pick up any momentum. The match was shockingly one-sided for a cup semi-final.
Everything fell into place for the Black and Yellows on Wednesday, who entered the match still feeling the aftereffects of last week's traumatic Europa League loss at Anfield.
Borussia Dortmund took a big step towards rehabilitation with a compelling performance, while the hosts did not leave the impression that they had any chance to reach the cup final in their own stadium for the very first time.
The Old Lady, as Berlin are referred to, allowed Borussia Dortmund to control the match. The guests dominated with calmness and looked as assured as they have for most of the season.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel told German broadcaster ARD that he was "very satisfied" with the team's performance. Completely shutting down the currently fourth-best team in Germany is an achievement from which the Westphalians can gain more strength.
There was not one moment of panic for Dortmund, which is a big takeaway for the self-understanding of the team, though one might argue that the hosts did not really test them in the first place.
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Roman Burki, 6 -- The man with the easiest job of the 22 players on the field. Berlin managed to have exactly one shot on target, which forced Burki to make a save in the corner of the goalkeeper's area.
DF Lukasz Piszczek, 6 -- As Marcel Schmelzer went on overlapping runs, Piszczek stayed behind to prevent counterattacks. In summary, Hertha didn't have any dangerous counterattacks. Job done.
DF Mats Hummels, 9 -- Standard performance by Hummels. Dominant, clean and easy on the eye. His forward roams once again created total havoc and he nearly scored, dribbling past four Hertha defenders only to be denied by a last-ditch clearance. Tuchel should think about fielding Hummels as a No. 10 in one of the remaining league matches.
DF Sven Bender, 7 -- Maybe not as spectacular as Hummels, but he was mistake-free.
DF Marcel Schmelzer, 9 -- Flankengott is the German term for a footballer who is a god in crossing. A term rarely brought in connection with Schmelzer, but on this night he duly earned it. In another strong performance, the left-back could have picked up at least three assists with pinpoint crosses, if it wasn't for the lack of finishing by his teammates. Take note, Jogi Low.
MF Julian Weigl, 8 -- He was allowed time and space by Hertha's passiveness. He made the best out of it, ruling the midfield with calmness and pinpoint passes -- which differ in range and verticality.
MF Gonzalo Castro, 9 -- Brought Borussia Dortmund on track with a cracking shot from distance in the 20th minute. Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein was left without a chance as the ball smacked into the netting before he even saw it coming with the view covered by his own defenders. But even more so, Castro provided great defensive cover, distorting Hertha's build-up in midfield by pressuring midfielders and helping out at the back when needed.
MF Shinji Kagawa, 7 -- Kagawa had to remind Reus how to tee up a pass with a beautiful assist for the latter. The Japanese looked at his best in between Hertha's lines and was a focal point throughout the match.
MF Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 7 -- The Armenian put the final nail into Berlin's coffin with his goal in the 83rd minute. It had been a long time coming, as he had previously testing the goalkeeper from all sorts of angles. Another great performance by the playmaker with space left for improvement.
MF Marco Reus, 8 -- Missed a sitter in the 26th minute after a low and precise Schmelzer cross. A player with his quality has to have better positioning to not sky the ball from 11 yards. Couldn't find Adrian Ramos in a two-on-one situation in the 60th minute on a counterattack, which should have killed off the match. But the third time was a charm. Reus buried his third chance with 15 minutes left on the clock and didn't stop there. Eight minutes later he put the ball on a silver platter for Mkhitaryan for a tap-in. Eventually his quality will always show.
FW Adrian Ramos, 7 -- Ramos couldn't find the net against his old club, but he did all the dirty work for his teammates to shine.
Substitutes:
MF Ilkay Gundogan, NR -- Started on the bench because Tuchel wanted to have Gundogan available for the end of the match, as the midfielder isn't in shape to go the full 90. When he came on with 13 minutes left, Dortmund didn't look as if they would let the lead slip from their hands.
DF Erik Durm, NR -- Replaced Schmelzer in the 84th minute.