Teams | November 6, 2012 at 03:20 PM
Top two clash in Braunschweig
Top two clash in Braunschweig
On Saturday (27.10.12, 13.00 CET) second-placed Hertha BSC take on Bundesliga 2 leaders Eintracht Braunschweig away from home in the top clash of matchday 11.
On Saturday (27.10.12, 13.00 CET) second-placed Hertha BSC take on Bundesliga 2 leaders Eintracht Braunschweig away from home in the top clash of matchday 11. The Berliners face the unbeaten table toppers hoping to extend their own fine eight game unbeaten run. Braunschweig's miserly defence have only conceded three league goals so far this season. Hertha boss Jos Luhukay knows how tough the game will be but said this week: „Just because of they are unbeaten and have conceded so few goals doesn't scare us. We go there to force our game on them and win!“
The Dutch supremo is without the services of midfield dynamo Änis Ben-Hatira. The Tunisian international was forced off at halftime of Hertha's 2-0 win in Bochum last weekend. His place in the starting line-up goes to young Nico Schulz who also replaced him in Bochum. Luhukay: „Änis was forced to stop training after only 20 minutes on Thursday (25.10.12) because of the intense pain he was in. Nico fitted in perfectly in Bochum and I hope he can do the same in Braunschweig.“ Luhukay is still without the long term injured group of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Shervin R. Fardi, Maik Franz, Christoph Janker and Daniel Beichler. Felix Bastians will resume full first team training next week while Levan Kobiashvili is still suspended.
Aim: Improve record
Nico Schulz has started two games so far this season, albeit in the back four. This time the young winger will play a more attacking role in Braunschweig. The lad was in confident mood as he said this week: „I'm not particularly nervous. But is is great to be able to start the game against the side topping the table. We will as always be perfectly prepared by our coaching staff.
Hertha BSC and Eintracht Braunschweig have met 43 times in the past. The capital city side won 13 of those games while the Niedersachsen team won 15 times. There have been 15 draws between the teams so far. Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft said looking forward to Saturday's game: „A top two clash is always special. We are very much looking forward to the game. We want to show that we are a good side in Braunschweig. We want to carry on the good work shown in recent weeks. The keeper is taking nothing for granted: „Eintracht are having a superb season and deserve to top the table. I have a lot of respect for their performances. They are very strong at home and will have their fans behind them on Saturday. It will be a tough game for us“, he added.
Braunschweig confident
A former „Herthaner“ is a key figure at Braunschweig: Marc Arnold – a Hertha promotion hero from 1997 is sport boss at Eintracht. He told us this week: „No Braunschweig team over the past 20 years has managed three consecutive seasons in division two, so we are proud of that. As a traditional club we want to establish ourselves again in the professional game. Long term that means hopefully promotion to the Bundesliga. If it happens this season all the better.“
Despite being top of the table, the Braunschweig manager does not see his side as the pre-match favourites. He explained: „Hertha are my favourites to win automatic promotion. They have found their rhythm after a poor start to the season. The team has a good mixture. They are improving with every success they have.“ The 2,154 travelling Hertha fans will have nothing against the team extending the unbeaten run to nine games so bring it on!
Possible line-ups:
Eintracht Braunschweig: Davari - Correia, Bicakcic, Dogan, Reichel - Pfitzner, Theuerkauf - Kruppke, Boland - Ademi, Kumbela
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Holland, Lustenberger, Brooks, Pekarik - Ndjeng, Kluge, Niemeyer, Schulz - Ramos, Wagner
The Dutch supremo is without the services of midfield dynamo Änis Ben-Hatira. The Tunisian international was forced off at halftime of Hertha's 2-0 win in Bochum last weekend. His place in the starting line-up goes to young Nico Schulz who also replaced him in Bochum. Luhukay: „Änis was forced to stop training after only 20 minutes on Thursday (25.10.12) because of the intense pain he was in. Nico fitted in perfectly in Bochum and I hope he can do the same in Braunschweig.“ Luhukay is still without the long term injured group of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Shervin R. Fardi, Maik Franz, Christoph Janker and Daniel Beichler. Felix Bastians will resume full first team training next week while Levan Kobiashvili is still suspended.
Aim: Improve record
Nico Schulz has started two games so far this season, albeit in the back four. This time the young winger will play a more attacking role in Braunschweig. The lad was in confident mood as he said this week: „I'm not particularly nervous. But is is great to be able to start the game against the side topping the table. We will as always be perfectly prepared by our coaching staff.
Hertha BSC and Eintracht Braunschweig have met 43 times in the past. The capital city side won 13 of those games while the Niedersachsen team won 15 times. There have been 15 draws between the teams so far. Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft said looking forward to Saturday's game: „A top two clash is always special. We are very much looking forward to the game. We want to show that we are a good side in Braunschweig. We want to carry on the good work shown in recent weeks. The keeper is taking nothing for granted: „Eintracht are having a superb season and deserve to top the table. I have a lot of respect for their performances. They are very strong at home and will have their fans behind them on Saturday. It will be a tough game for us“, he added.
Braunschweig confident
A former „Herthaner“ is a key figure at Braunschweig: Marc Arnold – a Hertha promotion hero from 1997 is sport boss at Eintracht. He told us this week: „No Braunschweig team over the past 20 years has managed three consecutive seasons in division two, so we are proud of that. As a traditional club we want to establish ourselves again in the professional game. Long term that means hopefully promotion to the Bundesliga. If it happens this season all the better.“
Despite being top of the table, the Braunschweig manager does not see his side as the pre-match favourites. He explained: „Hertha are my favourites to win automatic promotion. They have found their rhythm after a poor start to the season. The team has a good mixture. They are improving with every success they have.“ The 2,154 travelling Hertha fans will have nothing against the team extending the unbeaten run to nine games so bring it on!
Possible line-ups:
Eintracht Braunschweig: Davari - Correia, Bicakcic, Dogan, Reichel - Pfitzner, Theuerkauf - Kruppke, Boland - Ademi, Kumbela
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Holland, Lustenberger, Brooks, Pekarik - Ndjeng, Kluge, Niemeyer, Schulz - Ramos, Wagner