The shouts of “front runner” finally echoed again in ten thousand voices over the mightiest grandstand in the league – and Borussia Dortmund would have preferred to have frozen the Bundesliga table.

At least one night at the top: That was a blessing that helped to push a cruel six minutes out of BVB's collective memory.

"We were very, very shocked after Bremen," said Marco Reus.

The collapse of the 2: 3 against Werder was only two weeks ago, but something has happened since then.

Borussia takes it like a surfer who is hit by a wall of water: “We wanted to catch the next wave.

It was very, very important to get into this flow,” reported Reus, the only goal scorer against TSG Hoffenheim.

"Everything is a bit easier there."

The more or less 1-0 victory at Hertha BSC was followed by another 1-0, which was convincing, even inspiring at times.

"Especially in the first half we played an outstanding game," analyzed coach Edin Terzic.

Satisfied, he states: "Now we've scored the points that we left behind before.

You see a process, a development.”

Should BVB become a serious challenger to FC Bayern?

It's too early to answer that.

BVB's self-proclaimed stability has always proved too unstable in recent years.

Too many "stumbling block games" have prevented a championship.

Plus: Where Bayern now have 16 to 18 top players, BVB have eight to ten.

Terzic, Reus and Julian Brandt, brilliant preparer of the winning goal (16th), outlined the next task: Borussia Dortmund has to make life easier for itself.

The game could have been decided at halftime, but in the end it became the usual tremor.

"We don't want it to go the way it did against Werder," Brandt criticized: "Fortunately we've learned to win games like this." Terzic called on his players to learn "to chase the ball over the line “.

In another matter, the coach was powerless and stunned: A mysterious series of shoulder injuries is driving BVB.

This time it was Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, whose arm dangled from his body out of nowhere after a duel.

"His shoulder was out, including him, it's unbelievable," Terzic said frustrated: "It wasn't a collision with two trucks crashing into each other.

It actually looked harmless.”

BVB will have to do without Mahmoud Dahoud for months and possibly until the early winter break due to the World Cup.

The midfielder, who has been absent for two weeks, had a shoulder that popped out of the joint twice - it has to be operated on.

"Unfortunately, he won't be playing again until November," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl.