Hello and welcome to Sports Mole’s live commentary of Borussia Dortmund’s clash with Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.

It’s always a pleasure when Dortmund are playing, but they have struggled in recent weeks. BVB have lost three of their last five matches, and a Bundesliga title win now looks unlikely as they have slipped 12 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

We've got the team news just reaching us here, so let's what we have...

Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Sarr, Sokratis, Durm; Sahin, Kehl; Blaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Lewandowski

Hertha: Gersbeck; Pekarik, Hosogai, Lusti, Schulz; Cigerci, Kobiashvili; Ndjeng, Skjelbred, Allagui; Ramos.

So the stars are out for Dortmund, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus all in from the off. Nuri Sahin will look to dictate from a deep-lying position in midfield and there's also a start for Jakub Blaszczykowski.

As mentioned, BVB have not been at their best of late and Lewandowski delivered something of a rallying call earlier this week when speaking to ESPN.

The Poland international said: "We want to start against Hertha. We must really get going in the second part of the season and reduce the gap to Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern. We are not allowed to drop any more points.”

"Despite my 11 goals, I could have scored many more. That's why I am not satisfied. But that's not only my problem - that applies to the whole team. We did not drop that many points because we played badly but because we were too wasteful in front of goal. That's annoying."

What to make of Hertha this season? Well, they have won their last two games and are currently sixth in the Bundesliga. Marius Gersbeck is handed his first appearance of the season, although Ronny is only named a substitute.

Dortmund are also five points behind Bayer Leverkusen, who played Werder Bremen this afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp’s side haven’t won in the league since they beat Mainz 3-1 at the end of November, however they have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. BVB were handed a favourable draw against Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.

We're closing in on the kickoff at the Signal Iduna Park, or the Westfalenstadion as it is sometimes known as. The two are just emerging out of the tunnel.

The Dortmund fans are typically creating a great atmosphere and they are a sea of yellow and black. They really are some of the finest supporters in European football. The teams are running through their pre-match formalities.

We're just about ready for kickoff as a huge banner is unfurled from the BVB fans which has covered the entire stand.

KICKOFF: We're off and running.

Dortmund have settled into their passing rhythm early on here.

Dortmund launch a couple of long balls forward but Hertha stand firm. They have struggled to get out of their own half in the first few minutes though.

Blaszczykowski fires one in from around 25 yards out but it is charged down by Kobiashvili.

GOAL!  Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Hertha Berlin (Marco Reus)

GOAL!  It's all too easy for Reus. A clip over the top from Sahin sends him through and the keeper races off his line. He gets nowhere near it wide on the edge of the box Reus strokes it home into an empty net. Great start for Klopp's side.

CHANCE! Kevin Grosskreutz flashes one in from the edge of the box. It flies just wide. Really good start from the home side.

First real effort from Hertha and it's a sliced volley from Ramos on the edge of the box. Doesn't trouble the goal, but it is something.

CHANCE! Lewandowski denied after wrestling his way free. He tried to lift it over the keeper but couldn't get the elevation. Meanwhile there's a chance down the other end for Hertha, but Ramos was thwarted with a one-on-one. End to end at the minute. Entertaining stuff!

Another look at the Ramos chance it was a slack backpass from Grosskreutz that left Ramos free, but Weidenfeller did well to stand up and make the save.

Reus is on to another lofted pass, but Gersbeck is off his line quick to collect.

Reus flights over a freekick which Sokratis meets, but his header his well held by Gersbeck.

Reus is in the mood now and he glides past a challenge before trying to thread it through to Lewandowski. It is well cut out, but the German international looks like he will cause more problems for the visitors today.

Blaszczykowski fires one if from the egde of the box after a clearance from a corner. However the Pole doesn't quite connect with it.

It's neat stuff from Hertha in the final third and they work it wide, but the cross is delivered with no one in the box.

GOAL!  GOAL: Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Hertha Berlin (Adrian Ramos)

GOAL!  That's more like it from the visitors this time the cross is met by Ramos and the striker stoops to poke it beyond Weidenfeller in the BVB goal. Excellent counter-attack from the visitors.

Lewandowski is lurking inside the box and he stands up his marker before switching it onto his left foot. However he is charged down.

Not a lot happening at the moment. The goal seems to have stunned the home side.

A couple of heavy challenges being dished out here. First one is on Lewandowski and the second one on Kobiashvili.

Lewandowski almost releases Mkhitaryan over the top but Gersbeck is out like a flash to clear the danger. He was a lot more alert there than for the goal.

Sahin receives a pass 25 yards out but the Turkey international scuffs his left-footed effort. He was disappointed with himself there, we have seen him hit those better than that.

Hertha have a freekick in a good position wide right here...

It's a good delivery but Ramos barges into the back of a defender to concede the foul.

Lewandowski was really unlucky there, he brought down a long ball brilliantly with his chest and tried to turn as the ball hit the floor but he slightly over-ran it and fouled a defender trying to stretch for it.

Allagui does really well to hound Sarr into making a mistake and Hertha win a throw in high up the field wide right. From the throw Ramos nearly bundles his way through.

Schulz tries to escape down the left for Hertha but Grosskreutz gets back and makes the challenge. Good tracking back from the versatile Grosskreutz.

The thing that is always impressive about BVB is how comfortable the players are at taking possession. They accept the pass in any situation. It is great to watch.

GOAL!  GOAL! Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Hertha Berlin (Sami Allagui)

GOAL!  It's a nightmare for Sarr as Allagui robs him of the ball around 15 yards out. He then calmly takes it round Weidenfeller before rolling it into an empty net. Disaster for Dortmund.

Just what was MArian Sarr doing there? He was under no pressure until he decided to go back to goal with the ball. He invited Allagui on.

Sokratis is just talking to Sarr there at the end. He looks like he's trying to console his fellow centre-back. It was a poor error and he paid the price.

That was a very entertaining half. Hertha have stunned BVB with a goal at the death of the half. What are Jurgen Klopp's side made of? If they lose this, they can almost certainly kiss their title aspirations goodbye.

UPDATE: Just to give you an idea of how the rest of the Bundesliga is shaping up at the interval...

UPDATE: Werder Bremen are goalless with Bayer Leverkusen, Freiburg are beating Hannover 2-0 and Hamburg are 1-0 up against Mainz. Braunschweig are leading at home against Hoffenheim 1-0.

UPDATE: Elsewhere this afternoon, Liverpool eased to a 3-1 win against Cardiff City at Anfield thanks to two goals from Luis Suarez and a strike from Raheem Sterling, and Leicester beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0 in the Championship.

You can of course catch the match reports for these games on the Sports Mole homepage.

Back to today's game and it will be interesting to see Dortmund approach the second half. They certainly need a response, but for large parts they were uninspired in the final third. Reus has played well and they have all at times showed their technique and skill that we have come to expect, but Hertha have soaked it up and landed two sucker punches. Fair play to the visitors.

Jurgen Klopp looks as though he is readying a change for the second half. We will get confirmation of that if and when it happens of course.

KICKOFF: We're underway here in the second half.

Sokratis commits an early foul.

Lewandowski races down the left and almost finds his way into the area but the Poland international over-runs it and it goes out for goal kick.

It's a touch too intricate on the edge of the box between Lewandowski and Reus and they try to exchange a one-two in too tight an area. They lose the ball.

YELLOW CARD!  BOOKING: Cigerci goes in the book for a heavy tackle on Sahin.

Allagui goes down inside the box under a tackle from Reus, but the challenge is a fair one. He had to time that correctly and he did.

CHANCE! Sokratis rises highest from the corner and head it down. However it bounces straight back up and over the bar. He did well there the centre-back and was unlucky.

SUBSTITUTE: Hoffman is on for Blaszczykowski as Klopp makes the change.

I'm surprised by how lethargic the home side have been in the second half. They have showed no real attacking intent and not much is happening for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Well that's a waste from Sahin. He had a chance to deliver a freekick into the box from a dangerous area. Sarr and Sokratis were up from the back and the former Real Madrid man by-passes everyone and sends it out for a goal kick.

It's scrappy play from both side as Kehl loses it in the middle before Cigerci concedes possession. Neither side able to make much happen at the minute, but Hertha will be happy with that.

Better from BVB as Reus takes matters into his own hands. He dribbled at the heart of the Hertha defence before being halted inside the area. Good running from the goal-scroer though. More of that is needed.

CHANCE! Lovely effort from Hoffman, but Gersbeck is equal to it. He beats it away for a corner after Hoffman had dipped inside from the right on the edge of the box.

Ramos begins a mazy run but he is halted in his tracks by Sokratis.

SUBSTITUTE: Niemeyer is on for Skjelbred for Hertha Berlin

This is very unlike the Borussia Dortmund side that have earned so many admirers over the last few years. They look bereft of ideas in the final third. Hertha Berlin will be delighted.

The away side make a rare foray forward, but Schulz cannot deliver to Ramos inside the area.

Mkhitaryan fires one in but much like Sahin in the first period he cannot get hold of it and it trickles wide. Nothing happening here for BVB.

And that perhaps encapsulates this performance from the home side. Mkhitaryan bursts forward but plays a poor pass wide to Durm, he tries to feed Lewandowski and it goes out for a goal kick. Disappointing.

SUBSTITUTE: Schmelzer comes on for Sebastian Kehl for Dortmund, while Wagner replaces Ramos who is helped off with an injury for Hertha.

Ramos now appears to be moving more freely and his departure was more an effort to sure it up for Hertha as we head into the final 10 minutes.

It is really good defending from Hertha as they close the space for a number of BVB players and none of them can find room for the shot. Lewandowski eventually clips it into the box and Reus had strayed offside.

BOOKING: Hosogai goes in the book for a foul on Lewandowski.

Aimless from Hoffman as he tries to dink a cross in. It is easily cleared and BVB are running out of idea. In truth, they never had many to begin with and it is not often you can say that.

Schulz does really well to relieve the pressure on his side. He carries it 20 yards and so finds Allagui wide right. He then tosses a ball into the box but BVB clear the ball with little in the way of an attacking threat from the visitors. They're happy to get men behind the ball and see it out, and no one can blame them.

We're entering the final five minutes or so here. Is there to be an equaliser from the home side? It looks unlikely, but you never know...

Lewandowski goes up with Gerbeck, but the keeper does well to hold and the striker hurts his back on the landing.

CHANCE! Grosskreutz goes in with a header from around six yards but he can only direct it over the bar. Was that the big chance for Dortmund?

Four minutes of added time...

BOOKING: Sahin is booked for a late challenge on Wagner

Just about anywhere will do for Hertha Berlin right now and they send a huge up-and-under towards Dortmund's goal. The fans are booing as Allagui is down with cramp.

Mkhitaryan sends a long, straight punt into the area but Hertha deal with it easily. Surely that is it now?

Sokratis wants a penalty as he backs into a defender and falls over. There's nothing doing though, that should be all.

Sokratis, who is a make-shift striker for the final seconds wants another penalty. The Hertha players are furious with him. Corner to BVB...

Weidenfeller is up for what should be the final act of the game...

Hertha were good value for the win. A very good away performance, they soaked up the pressure and hit Dortmund with two sucker punches in the first half. It was MArian Sarr's error which has led to Hertha taking the points, but in truth BVB were poor for much of the game.

Well, that's all from me. Until next time, bye for now...