Teams | November 6, 2012 at 03:21 PM
2-2 draw in MSV Duisburg
2-2 draw in MSV Duisburg
After taking an early lead through Roman Hubnik, Sandro Wagner secured a crucial away point for the visitors.
Hertha and MSV Duisburg rounded off Bundesliga 2 matchday 8, with a televised Monday night match in front of only 12,177 at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. Despite making the perfect start, the capital city visitors could only draw 2-2 in the end.
After the 1-0 home win over Dynamo Dresden, Hertha chief Jos Luhukay was forced to reshuffle his starting line-up after captain Peter Niemeyer failed to recover in time from a knee problem. Peer Kluge wore the armband for the evening. Niemeyer's place in the back four went to fit-again Czech battler Roman Hubnik. Up front Adrian Ramos replaced Marcel Ndjeng, the latter reverting to the bench. Duisburg had former Hertha striker Valeri Domovchiyski in their starting line-up.
Dream start for Hertha
Roman Hubnik celebrated his return to the side in the best possible way. After only four minutes a free kick rebounded off Duisburg's defensive wall and then off former Duisburg goal-getter Sandro Wagner to Hubnik only seven metres out. The Czech defender kept his cool and fired the visitors ahead before running away to his right to celebrate with the 1,500 or so travelling faithful who had made the trip from Berlin to Duisburg. Five minutes later another former Duisburger Änis Ben-Hatira made his way to the byline and tried to find Wagner with a cross, but the home defence had their wits about them and cleared the danger (9.). The hosts who had only collected a single point in their previous seven matches did not fold after the early setback, and Hertha for some reason did not go for the jugular. Maurice Exslager produced a sharp cross to the far post where Hoffmann only failed to make contact by a whisker (15.).
After that Hertha threatened again as cross-field ball by Ronny found Ben-Hatira, who cut in from the right, duped a defender and nailed a shot onto the right hand post with the home keeper beaten (19.). Berlin's number ten had two further good scoring chances after that. He was played in twice on the edge of Duisburg's area. But failed to control the ball both times (41. and 43.). Hertha led 1-0 at halftime. The unluckiest player of the opening half was Felix Bastians, who seemed to catch his foot in the turf, and was forced off with a nasty looking knee injury. He was replaced by Nico Schulz.
Duisburg lead before Wagner levels
The second half begen with the plucky home side on the attack. Srdjan Baljak crossed from the left but Sören Brandy sent his diving header wide of target (53.). Three minutes later a free kick was back-headed to the far post, Baljak nodded the home side level with his first goal for 18 months. Ronny then hammered a free kick into the Duisburg wall from the edge of the area after Ben-Hatira had been fouled (65.). Duisburg were mainly a threat at set pieces. On 67 minutes Sukalo found no takers for his curled free kick.
MSV grew in confidence the longer the game went on. Exslager found space on the left hand side of the Hertha box. Keeper Thomas Kraft did well to parry his shot. The rebound by substitute Ranislav Jovanovic cannoned off the right hand post (69.). Baljak struck again from close range after being superbly set up by Brandy. Duisburg led 2-1 (72.). Hertha struck back as Ben-Hatira found Wagner close in, from where he equalised for the visitors, but refused to celebrate his goal out of respect to his former club (78.).
Hertha host 1860 München next
In the dying stages Duisburg's Sukalo blazed the ball over Hertha's crossbar from close in (86.). Shortly afterward's Hertha sub John Anthony Brooks could only find home keeper Felix Wiedwald with his header (89.). So Hertha returned to the capital city with a crucial away point in the bag. Their next game will be a completely different challenge, as they host high-flying 1860 München at the Olympic stadium in Berlin on Friday night (05.10.12, 18.00 CET) on matchday 9. What a game that promises to be!
After the 1-0 home win over Dynamo Dresden, Hertha chief Jos Luhukay was forced to reshuffle his starting line-up after captain Peter Niemeyer failed to recover in time from a knee problem. Peer Kluge wore the armband for the evening. Niemeyer's place in the back four went to fit-again Czech battler Roman Hubnik. Up front Adrian Ramos replaced Marcel Ndjeng, the latter reverting to the bench. Duisburg had former Hertha striker Valeri Domovchiyski in their starting line-up.
Dream start for Hertha
Roman Hubnik celebrated his return to the side in the best possible way. After only four minutes a free kick rebounded off Duisburg's defensive wall and then off former Duisburg goal-getter Sandro Wagner to Hubnik only seven metres out. The Czech defender kept his cool and fired the visitors ahead before running away to his right to celebrate with the 1,500 or so travelling faithful who had made the trip from Berlin to Duisburg. Five minutes later another former Duisburger Änis Ben-Hatira made his way to the byline and tried to find Wagner with a cross, but the home defence had their wits about them and cleared the danger (9.). The hosts who had only collected a single point in their previous seven matches did not fold after the early setback, and Hertha for some reason did not go for the jugular. Maurice Exslager produced a sharp cross to the far post where Hoffmann only failed to make contact by a whisker (15.).
After that Hertha threatened again as cross-field ball by Ronny found Ben-Hatira, who cut in from the right, duped a defender and nailed a shot onto the right hand post with the home keeper beaten (19.). Berlin's number ten had two further good scoring chances after that. He was played in twice on the edge of Duisburg's area. But failed to control the ball both times (41. and 43.). Hertha led 1-0 at halftime. The unluckiest player of the opening half was Felix Bastians, who seemed to catch his foot in the turf, and was forced off with a nasty looking knee injury. He was replaced by Nico Schulz.
Duisburg lead before Wagner levels
The second half begen with the plucky home side on the attack. Srdjan Baljak crossed from the left but Sören Brandy sent his diving header wide of target (53.). Three minutes later a free kick was back-headed to the far post, Baljak nodded the home side level with his first goal for 18 months. Ronny then hammered a free kick into the Duisburg wall from the edge of the area after Ben-Hatira had been fouled (65.). Duisburg were mainly a threat at set pieces. On 67 minutes Sukalo found no takers for his curled free kick.
MSV grew in confidence the longer the game went on. Exslager found space on the left hand side of the Hertha box. Keeper Thomas Kraft did well to parry his shot. The rebound by substitute Ranislav Jovanovic cannoned off the right hand post (69.). Baljak struck again from close range after being superbly set up by Brandy. Duisburg led 2-1 (72.). Hertha struck back as Ben-Hatira found Wagner close in, from where he equalised for the visitors, but refused to celebrate his goal out of respect to his former club (78.).
Hertha host 1860 München next
In the dying stages Duisburg's Sukalo blazed the ball over Hertha's crossbar from close in (86.). Shortly afterward's Hertha sub John Anthony Brooks could only find home keeper Felix Wiedwald with his header (89.). So Hertha returned to the capital city with a crucial away point in the bag. Their next game will be a completely different challenge, as they host high-flying 1860 München at the Olympic stadium in Berlin on Friday night (05.10.12, 18.00 CET) on matchday 9. What a game that promises to be!