Salomon Kalou and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were both on the scoresheet as Hertha Berlin overcame Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The win sees Hertha close in on their fellow European football aspirants and the capital club are now three points away from their third placed counterparts, while they remain fifth.
Former Cote d'Ivoire international Kalou opened the scoring for the hosts in the 11th minute at the Olympia Stadium in Berlin. The 31-year-old benefited from Vedad Ibisevic’s selfless play out wide before he pounced his sixth of the campaign.
Kalou came close to his second at the stroke of halftime but Raphael Gurreiro cleared his effort off the line as BVB remained in the hunt.
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But Thomas Tuchel’s charges looked a different side after the second half began, and it wasn’t long until Aubameyang grabbed the equaliser. The Gabon captain linked up with Shinji Kagawa before lashing home a left-footed effort to make it 1-1 in the 55th minute.
However, Marvin Plattenhardt curled home what is becoming a trademark free-kick to restore Hertha’s lead with his third goal of the season.
This was Auba’s 22nd strike of the campaign from 22 appearances, and despite biggest rival - Robert Lewandoski - scoring a brace on Saturday too, the 27-year-old still tops the Bundesliga goalscoring charts, one ahead of the Polish hitman who has played two games more than his Central African counterpart.
Kalou announced his retirement from international football after the recent Nations Cup, although many still feel that he still has a lot to offer the Elephants of the Cote d'Ivoire, and his form of late proves just that. The former Chelsea man has been directly involved in nine goals in his last 13 games for Hertha in the Bundesliga, scoring six and assisting three.
