Robson Turns Hertha’s Spending into Goals

Robson’s afternoon took shape in the roar after another Hertha attack found its mark: two goals, an assist, and a 4-1 victory over 1. FSV Mainz 05. The Brazilian finished with a 9.4 rating after 90 minutes, but the sharper measure was how much of Hertha’s forward threat ran through him.

He had four shots, three on target, and created a key chance as Hertha controlled the ball with 66 per cent possession. Mainz were not entirely subdued — they had four shots and one clear-cut chance — but Hertha’s pressure kept bringing the game back to Robson and his fellow attackers. Fernando Reyes also scored twice, while Mikail Keskin supplied an assist before being replaced in the 71st minute.

The performance lands as Hertha’s summer of change turns into a season’s work. The club have spent £48.7m on two players, including £43.7m for Stuart McCann from AFC Bournemouth; Keskin, signed from Tottenham Hotspur, was already involved here. Hertha’s supporters have watched familiar faces depart, too: Josh Manning joined AS Monaco, while Omer Banano moved to Real Madrid FC. Robson, by contrast, gave them something immediate to hold on to — not a transfer headline, but the sight of a forward deciding the rhythm of a home win.

For a club investing heavily in its squad, that distinction matters. Money can refresh a dressing room; it cannot guarantee the connection that forms when a player turns possession into danger and danger into goals. Robson supplied that link against Mainz, and Hertha’s 4-1 was built around his insistence.