Dilrosun returns to lift Hertha off the bottom with Paderborn win

Hertha 2-1 Paderborn
Goals: 1-0 Dilrosun (10’), 2-0 Wolf (52’), 2-1 Zolinski (54’)

Rock bottom, one place below Paderborn by virtue of goal-difference at kick-off, Hertha started with their fifth different line-up in five games with Niklas Stark leading the side out in a 4-2-3-1. Dilrosun – who has struggled with a persistent hamstring injury – was handed his first start since last November, and wasted little time in repaying coach Ante Covic’s faith in him with a slaloming run and finish inside the opening 10 minutes. Paderborn settled into their stride after that early opener, and might have forced themselves back onto level terms had Cauly’s control from Sven Michel’s pass not let him down. Michel then forced a save from Rune Jarstein with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area. Steffen Baumgart’s men actually ended the first half with more of the ball than the Old Lady – completing 197 passes compared to their hosts’ 101 – but they failed to make their possession tell and Hertha carried their one-goal advantage into the interval.

Covic sent Vladimir Darida on for the more offensively-minded Ondrej Duda at the start of the second half in an attempt to regain control of the game, but that didn’t stop Dedryck Boyata from having to race back and deny Christopher Antwi-Adjei with a last-ditch tackle. Dilrosun was determined to impress, however, and after breaking clear on the left-hand side once more he crossed for Marius Wolf, who lashed home a first Hertha goal since his summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Home nerves were settled for all of two minutes, though, with Paderborn attacker Ben Zolinski stealing in between Stark and Boyata to meet Mo Dräger’s cross and poke home for 2-1. Jarstein then punched a venomous Cauly strike away for a corner as the hosts held on. At the other end, Darida thought he had made the game safe with 20 minutes to go, but his effort was ruled out with Davie Selke offside. The flag went up against Selke again minutes later – this time denying the striker a goal he had finished himself – and it stayed 2-1.

• Dilrosun’s goal was his third for the club, and first scored at Hertha’s Olympiastadion.
• The former Manchester City youngster’s strike was also the first time the Old Lady have opened the scoring this season.
• Hertha were in the relegation zone for the first time in nine years at kick-off.
• Zolinksi scored his first Bundesliga goal from Dräger’s first top-flight assist. The latter laid on nine goals in Paderborn’s promotion campaign last term.
• Selke had scored in both of his previous Bundesliga meetings with Paderborn – helping previous club Werder Bremen to a 4-0 win and a 2-2 draw against Saturday’s visitors in the 2014/15 season.
• Paderborn are yet to win this season. They are the first promoted team to have gone their first five games without victory since Eintracht Braunschweig in 2013.

Line-ups

Hertha: Jarstein – Klünter, Stark (c), Boyata, Plattenhardt - Grujic, Skjelbred – Wolf (Mittelstädt 70’), Duda (Darida 46’), Dilrosun – Selke (Ibisevic 84')
Unused subs: Kraft, Rekik, Löwen, Kalou, Torunarigha, Lukebakio
Out: Maier (match fitness), Pekarik (calf)
Coach: Ante Covic

Paderborn: Huth – Dräger, Strohdiek (c), Hünemeier, Collins – Cauly, Vasiliadis, Gjasula (Ritter 78'), Antwi-Adjei (Pröger 63’) – Zolinski, Michel (Sabiri 71’)
Unused subs: Zingerle, Kilian, Jans, Gueye, Mamba, Holtmann
Out: Schonlau (foot)
Coach: Steffen Baumgart

Watch: Dilrosun explains his wonder-goal