Teams | March 10, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Hertha at home to MSV Duisburg
Hertha at home to MSV Duisburg
After the defeat in Dresden, Hertha BSC eye a return to winning ways at home to MSV Duisburg on Sunday (10.03.13).
Berlin - After the shock defeat at Dynamo Dresden last time out, the players are keen to start a new winning run on Sunday (10.03.13, 13.30 CET) at the Olympic stadium where MSV Duisburg are the Bundesliga 2 matchday 26 visitors. Hertha's record breaking winning run of 21 games ended in Dresden, so everyone is prepared to go the extra mile against in-form Duisburg.
MSV caused a shock on matchday 25 by beating long time leaders Eintracht Braunschweig 1-0 and in doing so kept Hertha in top spot: "Despite being a man down for a long time against Kaiserslautern we had a good chance of winning, so our win over Braunschweig did not surprise me", explained the winning goal scorer of that day Maurice Exslager. Hertha boss Jos Luhukay was impressed by what he saw from the "Zebras" on Monday night. The coach: "They will come to Berlin with confidence. They play with passion and lots of aggression. They are tight at the back and unpredictable up front." Sunday's visitors are enjoying an upward curve in form, as their record of just one defeat in their last eight league games underlines: "Duisburg have grown in confidence over past weeks, so we will not be underestimating them"; said Berlin striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga before adding: "We respect them. But we are playing at home and are keen to keep the points here."
Hoping to start new winning run
Luhukay has selection woes. Apart from Marcel Ndjeng (torn hamstring) and Roman Hubnik (recovering from flu), Hany Mukhtar, who at the start of the week had been pencilled in to replace Ndjeng, returned from a German under-18 course with a cold. A stomach bug has ruled Alfredo Morales out of Sunday's game: "It will be a tough match against Duisburg. We will have to be fully focused from the off. If we can do that we will return to winning ways", added Luhukay who will be playing his usual 4-2-3-1-system: "That is the best system to bring out the best of Adrian Ramos and Ronny."
Pre-match favourites Hertha had a tough time of it as they faced the "Zebras" earlier in the season. That day Sandro Wagner was Hertha's saviour. The young striker first set up Hubnik for the opening goal on 4 minutes, before equalising for Hertha after Srdjan Baljak had scored twice for Duisburg. That game ended in a 2-2 draw: "Hertha were really lucky in that game", remembers MSV striker Exslager. After tasting defeat last time out, Wagner (who used to play for Duisburg) can't wait for the action to start on Sunday. He said this week: "We didn't play well in Dresden and we are all keen to make up for it against Duisburg." The stats of the games between the two sides who were also founding members of the Bundesliga 50 years ago could not be more even: In the top flight both sides have fourteen wins and ten draws. In Bundesliga two both sides have six wins and three draws. Änis Ben-Hatira who like team mate Wagner used to be a "Zebra" hopes the team can tip the scales in Hertha's favour again on Sunday, but is well aware of how tough it will be to do so. He told us: "MSV will be more than motivated when they take on the best side in Bundesliga 2."
Fight hard against "horrible" opponent
Sunday's visitors are in 13th place in the table ahead of matchday 26 - their best position of the season. In order to fight off the threat of relegation Duisburg must do the basics well: "We have to be a horrible opponent to play", said MSV left back Timo Perthel before they beat Braunschweig. Hertha's Jay Brooks reckons he knows what is required in order to emerge triumphant on Sunday afternoon. The youngster: "We have to stand up to them, accept the fight and wherever possible use our qualities." MSV boss Kosta Runjaic was in fighting mood as he said this week: "We are a hungry herd of Zebras, who want to take at least a point home with us. We are not going there to make up the numbers."
The frustration of defeat in Dresden was reflected in training all week, so there is no motivational problem for the players. As Georgian veteran Levan Kobiashwili rightly pointed out: "As one run ends another begins."
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Lustenberger, Brooks, Kobiashvili – Niemeyer, Kluge – Allagui, Ronny, Schulz – Ramos
MSV Duisburg: Wiedwald – Brosinski, Bomheuer, Bajic, Perthel – Brandy, Koch, Sukalo, Wolze – Exslager, Jovanovic
MSV caused a shock on matchday 25 by beating long time leaders Eintracht Braunschweig 1-0 and in doing so kept Hertha in top spot: "Despite being a man down for a long time against Kaiserslautern we had a good chance of winning, so our win over Braunschweig did not surprise me", explained the winning goal scorer of that day Maurice Exslager. Hertha boss Jos Luhukay was impressed by what he saw from the "Zebras" on Monday night. The coach: "They will come to Berlin with confidence. They play with passion and lots of aggression. They are tight at the back and unpredictable up front." Sunday's visitors are enjoying an upward curve in form, as their record of just one defeat in their last eight league games underlines: "Duisburg have grown in confidence over past weeks, so we will not be underestimating them"; said Berlin striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga before adding: "We respect them. But we are playing at home and are keen to keep the points here."
Hoping to start new winning run
Luhukay has selection woes. Apart from Marcel Ndjeng (torn hamstring) and Roman Hubnik (recovering from flu), Hany Mukhtar, who at the start of the week had been pencilled in to replace Ndjeng, returned from a German under-18 course with a cold. A stomach bug has ruled Alfredo Morales out of Sunday's game: "It will be a tough match against Duisburg. We will have to be fully focused from the off. If we can do that we will return to winning ways", added Luhukay who will be playing his usual 4-2-3-1-system: "That is the best system to bring out the best of Adrian Ramos and Ronny."
Pre-match favourites Hertha had a tough time of it as they faced the "Zebras" earlier in the season. That day Sandro Wagner was Hertha's saviour. The young striker first set up Hubnik for the opening goal on 4 minutes, before equalising for Hertha after Srdjan Baljak had scored twice for Duisburg. That game ended in a 2-2 draw: "Hertha were really lucky in that game", remembers MSV striker Exslager. After tasting defeat last time out, Wagner (who used to play for Duisburg) can't wait for the action to start on Sunday. He said this week: "We didn't play well in Dresden and we are all keen to make up for it against Duisburg." The stats of the games between the two sides who were also founding members of the Bundesliga 50 years ago could not be more even: In the top flight both sides have fourteen wins and ten draws. In Bundesliga two both sides have six wins and three draws. Änis Ben-Hatira who like team mate Wagner used to be a "Zebra" hopes the team can tip the scales in Hertha's favour again on Sunday, but is well aware of how tough it will be to do so. He told us: "MSV will be more than motivated when they take on the best side in Bundesliga 2."
Fight hard against "horrible" opponent
Sunday's visitors are in 13th place in the table ahead of matchday 26 - their best position of the season. In order to fight off the threat of relegation Duisburg must do the basics well: "We have to be a horrible opponent to play", said MSV left back Timo Perthel before they beat Braunschweig. Hertha's Jay Brooks reckons he knows what is required in order to emerge triumphant on Sunday afternoon. The youngster: "We have to stand up to them, accept the fight and wherever possible use our qualities." MSV boss Kosta Runjaic was in fighting mood as he said this week: "We are a hungry herd of Zebras, who want to take at least a point home with us. We are not going there to make up the numbers."
The frustration of defeat in Dresden was reflected in training all week, so there is no motivational problem for the players. As Georgian veteran Levan Kobiashwili rightly pointed out: "As one run ends another begins."
Possible line-ups:
Hertha BSC: Kraft – Pekarik, Lustenberger, Brooks, Kobiashvili – Niemeyer, Kluge – Allagui, Ronny, Schulz – Ramos
MSV Duisburg: Wiedwald – Brosinski, Bomheuer, Bajic, Perthel – Brandy, Koch, Sukalo, Wolze – Exslager, Jovanovic