Free-scoring Dost strikes again
February 22, 2015
Bas Dost continued his rich vein of form by scoring both goals in Wolfsburg's 2-1 win against Hertha Berlin on Sunday. The Dutchman has now found the net 11 times in six games this year, with only Lionel Messi of Barcelona boasting a more fruitful run of form in 2015 across Europe's top five divisions.
Dost's brace either side of the break consolidated Wolfsburg's spot in second, pegging Bayern Munich back to eight points while increasing their lead on third-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach to 10 points. Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin languish at the foot of the table with a three-point margin between them in 17th and Stuttgart in 18th.
After a 2-0 win in the Europa League at home to Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, Dieter Hecking essentially kept the same team for the visit of the Berliners. Aaron Hunt was the only difference in the two starting elevens, but the attacking-midfielder was substituted in the first-half due to injury in midweek.
Wolfsburg are regularly strong-starters - they have scored in the first quarter of an hour 12 times this season, leveling the record set in 2001/02.
Inside 10 minutes, a forward ball from Vieirinha was flicked on by Andre Schürrle to the in-form Dost, who finished from 15 meters.
Resilient Berliners
But stand-in Hertha coach Pal Dardai, who led the side to a win at Mainz on their last away day, handed his side more freedom in the last-third with Valentin Stocker always key in unlocking the Wolfsburg defense.
The Swiss winger cut the ball back from the byline on 30 minutes for Julian Schieber to convert with a diving header. Hertha finished the half strongest, to the frustration of the home crowd.
Sebastian Jung, Wolfsburg's right-back, was replaced at the break as part of a small tactical shuffle with Maximilian Arnold moving into the center of the pitch. Arnold controlled long phases of the game as the single pivot player as the Wolves struggled to break down a rigid formation from Hertha.
On 52 minutes, De Bruyne flashed a long-range shot at goal and five minutes later Schürrle fluffed a volley over the crossbar after neat assist-play by Dost. The former Chelsea man seemed off the pace as he missed several other opportunities inside the box, as the home fans hoped for a chance to fall to their in-form marksman from the Netherlands.
And it sure did, with Dost bagging his second 73 minutes into the game. A Luiz Gustavo pile-driver from 25 meters rebounded off the post and into the path of Dost, who cushioned his finish into the gaping goal. Hertha avoided losing a third goal of the evening with Schürrle denied by Thomas Kraft in stoppage time as the Old Lady stay in the drop-zone.