Ondrej Duda – Hertha Berlin’s attacking fulcrum
Ondrej Duda’s journey in Berlin has been a rigorous one as last season he was lacking fitness and confidence, starting with a paucity of games and lacking the confidence of his manager. Salomon Kalou betted him a Rolex watch if he managed to score eight goals this season, Duda scored ten and was gifted the watch which he plans on giving back to the Ivorian and donating the proceeds to charity. Pal Dardai has carved out a role with defensive and offensive responsibilities as the Slovak creator is now one of the first names on the team-sheet in Hertha’s many different formations.
Duda’s goalscoring exploits belies his incredible creative abilities as he is growing into one of the premier all-round attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga. He normally operates in the space behind Davie Selke or Vedad Ibisevic and Kalou with freedom to drop deeper and work the ball forward while also working the ball through the pockets and the channels. Duda’s first responsibility is to mark the opposition defensive midfielder which he has done to great effect many times this season. Sebastian Rudy’s debut at Schalke was disrupted by the 24-year-old as he is so tigerish in his pressing responsibilities that he followed Rudy into the defensive three-chain. Duda then won the ball and won a free-kick higher up the pitch illustrating his fine execution of Dardai’s tactical concepts.
Ondrej Duda marking Bayern Munich deep-lying midfielder Javi Martinez.
Rudy was off by the 51st minute while Duda wrapped up a brilliant performance by making a late run into the box to connect with a Javairo Dilrosun cross to put Hertha ahead. Duda is also talented at engaging in vertical passing moves working the ball out to the flanks. The Hertha Berlin playmaker is so nimble on his feet that he can weave past players in the deeper areas of the pitch to start the breaks that make Hertha such a difficult proposition. In a match at home to Hertha Berlin, Duda took on a pass from Arne Maier on the break to backheel it into the path of Marko Grujic to apply a casual finish.
Duda is also one of the more talented through ball attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga as in a match at home to Werder Bremen, he took one touch and played it to Kalou on the break who squared it for Selke to tap in. Kalou’s ability in the pockets allows Duda to drop deep and work the ball out of the back as he is very courageous with his passing. He has also developed as a talented set-piece taker as he scored a free-kick against Schalke while having another cannon off the crossbar against Bremen.
Hertha Berlin drop into a compact 5-3-2 formation with Duda in the midfield line or they can press the ball as a 4-4-2 diamond with the Slovak behind the two strikers, pressing the opposition defensive midfielder. The playmaker is adept at dropping into the midfield line and covering his zone while also moving up to mark his man when the opposition play the ball to their defensive midfielder. He is also accustomed to working the ball from deep as against Bayern Munich, he chipped a ball to Selke in between the lines to beat pressure. He also started a mazy run that led to a counter while he took on a Lustenberger pass to play it to Kalou in the pockets.
Against Werder Bremen, he took on a pass from the flank and hit an inch-perfect diagonal pass to Valentin Lazaro who played it to Selke who mis-controlled. His ability to create the opportunity before the assist has been a vital facet of Hertha’s attacking play as his capacity to add creativity and nous from deep as well as in the pockets helps the team from the capital create a lot of opportunities from less possession. Attacking midfielders are seen as more languid and nonchalant types but Duda is unique in that he is hardworking with and without possession. Dardai’s attacking play is based on quick combinations and Duda thrives in these situations as against Bayern Munich, after Maximillian Mittlestadt won possession, he played it Kalou who played it to the Slovak to trade passes with Selke for the German to have his shot blocked on the line.
Dardai has described Duda as a ‘true artist’ as the Hungarian believes that his playmaker is a self-motivated player and rarely needs words of encouragement from his Head Coach. The issue with Duda’s stagnation was getting the Slovak to feel liberated in the unfamiliarity of Berlin while he had to navigate frustrating bouts with injury and meagre game time. Hertha, Duda and Dardai are all better for coming out of his rough patch at the other end as it will prove a struggle to keep the playmaker in Berlin in the summer.
“He has it now. I have almost never replaced him this season, not even in training. He needs a slightly different treatment. He is a player who must be left alone. You do not have to kick him on the buttocks,” said Dardai in quotes transcribed by FootMercato.
"The coach gives me more confidence than in the last two years. It increases my confidence and I can play well. This should be a success for everyone in Hertha,” said Duda in quotes obtained from the same publication.
Duda has accrued 10 goals and 2 assists as he is Hertha’s top scorer this season. The confidence instilled in him by his coach has borne fruit as the attacking midfielder has blossomed into one of the most lethal counter-attacking conduits in the Bundesliga. He will have no shortage of suitors in the summer once teams realise his shortage of assists is a minor aberration for a player so technically refined and creative. Meanwhile, Hertha will continue to rely on his involvement for their European ambitions in a highly competitive Bundesliga.
