Borussia Dortmund blew the Bundesliga title race wide open with a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, but in-form striker Karim Adeyemi limped off clutching his hamstring in the first half.
The win saw Dortmund pull level on points with league leaders Bayern Munich and high-flying Union Berlin, who were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Schalke earlier on Sunday. Adeyemi's injury made for a bittersweet evening, with the 21-year-old limping off almost in tears just minutes after putting his side on their way with a quickfire goal and assist.
Dortmund started a little sluggishly after their 1-0 Champions League win over Chelsea in midweek, and Hertha could have taken the lead when Jessic Ngankam skimmed the bar early on. The Signal-Iduna-Park was soon bouncing, though, as Adeyemi gave Dortmund the lead with a brilliant backheel on 27 minutes.
Adeyemi set up Donyell Malen for his side's second with a brilliant cross four minutes later, but was already clutching his hamstring as he curled the ball into the box.
There was fresh hope for relegation-threatened Hertha when Lucas Tousart thundered the ball in off the bar just after the break to halve Dortmund's lead. But Dortmund overcame their nerves once more and Marco Reus smashed a direct free-kick into the top corner to restore the two-goal cushion.
Julian Brandt made it four late on, linking up with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to score for a third league game in a row. In one of the most intriguing Bundesliga title races for years, Dortmund, Union and Bayern are now all on 43 points after Bayern's surprise defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.