Teams | February 15, 2013 at 05:51 PM
Hertha BSC face unknown quantity
Hertha BSC face unknown quantity
On Saturday (16.02.13, 13.00 CET) Hertha travels to take on newly-promoted side VfR Aalen.
Berlin - On Saturday (16.02.13, 13.00 CET), coach Jos Luhukay and his high-flying Hertha team face something of an unknown quantity, as they travel to take on newly-promoted side VfR Aalen, currently occupying a very creditable seventh spot in the Bundesliga 2 table.
Before the season began, this game was not given any particular notice. Hertha were regarded as odds on favourites to win both games, and they won the first ever encounter between the two sides 2-0 on Bundesliga 2 matchday 5 back in August of last year. When the teams kick off at the tiny Scholz-Arena (capacity 13,251) Hertha will again be the pre-match favourites, but this time around by no means so nailed on as was the case at the start of the season. The apparent "Minnows" Aalen have many impressive scalps under their belts, including those of tradition-steeped teams like Köln, Kaiserslautern and Hamburg side St.Pauli. Aalen have collected an impressive 30 points from 21 games so far. That form has seen them break into the top ten places, so Hertha must be wide awake for the full 90 minutes on Saturday if they are to leave there with maximum points.
Luhukay knows that there will be no easy pickings against the Baden-Württemberg-based side. He said this week: "In our first game against them earlier in the season we struggled to create chances. They are an uncomfortable opponent. They are very disciplined and well organised at the back. We have to find answers to that problem. If we can, we will be successful there." One only has to glance at the season stats to see what the Dutchman means: Aalen have only conceded 19 goals in 21 matches. They are in third place in that particular table behind leaders Braunschweig (17) and Hertha (18).
Support from the top for Fabian Holland
Luhukay is to be envied at the moment with regard to team selection: With the exception of Peer Kluge (suspended) and injured Felix Bastians, the Hertha supremo has a fully fit squad to choose his starting eleven from. Such things can sometimes be a blessing or a curse. Luhukay said this week: "I am knocking on wood that things remain that way, but it is still tough to pick a final squad. All players are fit and fighting for places, but I can only please eleven, or with the full squad eighteen players."
One of the first names on Saturday's team sheet will be that of promising youngster Fabian Holland, who returns at left back following suspension: "He is certain to play. He performed consistently during the first half of the season. And even though he has come through slightly weaker period lately he has my full trust", confirmed Luhukay at the pre-match press conference. The Hertha coach would not be drawn on who will replace Kluge though: Levan Kobiashvili, Marvin Knoll and Alfredo Morales are all candidates, and all trained well this week. Whoever is chosen will line up alongside skipper Peter Niemeyer in front of the back four. Out of the squad are the following players: Hany Mukhtar, Ben Sahar, Christoph Janker, Nico Schulz and Maik Franz.
Mutual respect
Praise for the opposition is by no means just a Berlin thing. VfR Aalen see Saturday's game as a season-highlight and know what to expect: "Hertha have got the best squad in the league", said Aalen coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, before adding with a wink: "We respect them a lot, but then again we did in Braunschweig last time out too." Aalen raised many eyebrows on matchday 21 by drawing 1-1 away to leaders Eintracht Braunschweig. Hasenhüttl hopes on Saturday: "That maybe we can take points off a top side again." Aalen's Enrico Valentini has four goals to his name including a penalty in Braunschweig last weekend is looking forward to locking horns with the capital city side. He said earlier this week: "For me, Hertha are a team full of individual class. We have to be very wary of them."
He could have been referring to Hertha’s in-form Brazilian midfield general Ronny, who took his season goal tally to 12 against Union Berlin in the Berlin derby last time out. Ronny himself said ahead of the game in Aalen: "We want to further improve our performance." His coach agrees with him. Luhukay knows: "More players have to reach a higher performance level, but that is something that you cannot programme. In particular we must liven things up in our front line." So Hertha know what is required of them on Saturday. They (rightly) have a healthy respect for Aalen, but know at the same time how important the three points up for grabs are for their aim of immediate promotion back to the top flight. But they will have to be careful: Sometimes "Minnows" have teeth...
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Lustenberger, Brooks, Holland - Niemeyer, Kobiashvili/Knoll/Morales - Ndjeng, Ronny, Allagui - Ramos
VfR Aalen: Fejzic - Traut, Kister, Barth, Buballa - Junglas, Leandro - Lechleiter, Haller, Valentini - Cidimar
Before the season began, this game was not given any particular notice. Hertha were regarded as odds on favourites to win both games, and they won the first ever encounter between the two sides 2-0 on Bundesliga 2 matchday 5 back in August of last year. When the teams kick off at the tiny Scholz-Arena (capacity 13,251) Hertha will again be the pre-match favourites, but this time around by no means so nailed on as was the case at the start of the season. The apparent "Minnows" Aalen have many impressive scalps under their belts, including those of tradition-steeped teams like Köln, Kaiserslautern and Hamburg side St.Pauli. Aalen have collected an impressive 30 points from 21 games so far. That form has seen them break into the top ten places, so Hertha must be wide awake for the full 90 minutes on Saturday if they are to leave there with maximum points.
Luhukay knows that there will be no easy pickings against the Baden-Württemberg-based side. He said this week: "In our first game against them earlier in the season we struggled to create chances. They are an uncomfortable opponent. They are very disciplined and well organised at the back. We have to find answers to that problem. If we can, we will be successful there." One only has to glance at the season stats to see what the Dutchman means: Aalen have only conceded 19 goals in 21 matches. They are in third place in that particular table behind leaders Braunschweig (17) and Hertha (18).
Support from the top for Fabian Holland
Luhukay is to be envied at the moment with regard to team selection: With the exception of Peer Kluge (suspended) and injured Felix Bastians, the Hertha supremo has a fully fit squad to choose his starting eleven from. Such things can sometimes be a blessing or a curse. Luhukay said this week: "I am knocking on wood that things remain that way, but it is still tough to pick a final squad. All players are fit and fighting for places, but I can only please eleven, or with the full squad eighteen players."
One of the first names on Saturday's team sheet will be that of promising youngster Fabian Holland, who returns at left back following suspension: "He is certain to play. He performed consistently during the first half of the season. And even though he has come through slightly weaker period lately he has my full trust", confirmed Luhukay at the pre-match press conference. The Hertha coach would not be drawn on who will replace Kluge though: Levan Kobiashvili, Marvin Knoll and Alfredo Morales are all candidates, and all trained well this week. Whoever is chosen will line up alongside skipper Peter Niemeyer in front of the back four. Out of the squad are the following players: Hany Mukhtar, Ben Sahar, Christoph Janker, Nico Schulz and Maik Franz.
Mutual respect
Praise for the opposition is by no means just a Berlin thing. VfR Aalen see Saturday's game as a season-highlight and know what to expect: "Hertha have got the best squad in the league", said Aalen coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, before adding with a wink: "We respect them a lot, but then again we did in Braunschweig last time out too." Aalen raised many eyebrows on matchday 21 by drawing 1-1 away to leaders Eintracht Braunschweig. Hasenhüttl hopes on Saturday: "That maybe we can take points off a top side again." Aalen's Enrico Valentini has four goals to his name including a penalty in Braunschweig last weekend is looking forward to locking horns with the capital city side. He said earlier this week: "For me, Hertha are a team full of individual class. We have to be very wary of them."
He could have been referring to Hertha’s in-form Brazilian midfield general Ronny, who took his season goal tally to 12 against Union Berlin in the Berlin derby last time out. Ronny himself said ahead of the game in Aalen: "We want to further improve our performance." His coach agrees with him. Luhukay knows: "More players have to reach a higher performance level, but that is something that you cannot programme. In particular we must liven things up in our front line." So Hertha know what is required of them on Saturday. They (rightly) have a healthy respect for Aalen, but know at the same time how important the three points up for grabs are for their aim of immediate promotion back to the top flight. But they will have to be careful: Sometimes "Minnows" have teeth...
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft - Pekarik, Lustenberger, Brooks, Holland - Niemeyer, Kobiashvili/Knoll/Morales - Ndjeng, Ronny, Allagui - Ramos
VfR Aalen: Fejzic - Traut, Kister, Barth, Buballa - Junglas, Leandro - Lechleiter, Haller, Valentini - Cidimar