Teams | April 2, 2013 at 03:59 PM
2-0 home win over Bochum
2-0 home win over Bochum
Ronny and Nico Schulz fired Hertha back to the top of the table.
Berlin - Hertha regained top spot in the Bundesliga 2 table on Saturday afternoon (30.03.13). After Eintracht Braunschweig had overtaken the capital city side by beating Dynamo Dresden 2-1 at home on Thursday night, Hertha produced the perfect answer, beating VfL Bochum 2-0 in front of 34,802 at the freezing cold Olympic stadium in Berlin on Saturday afternoon.
After having to pick his team for the goalless draw at 1860 Munich from an injury-depleted squad, Hertha boss Jos Luhukay was relieved to have almost everyone at his disposal for the visit of Bochum on matchday 27. Only Marcel Ndjeng (lack of match fitness) and Maik Franz (bad cold) were ruled out. Once again Lustenberger and Brooks formed a partnership in central defence, while Niemeyer and Kluge played in front of the back four.
Perfect start
The home side made the perfect start, taking the lead with the first attack of the game. Ronny won possession in midfield and was brought down some 20 metres out by Christoph Dabrowski. Hertha's Brazilian took the resulting free kick himself, and beautifully curled the ball into the top right hand corner of the net for his 14th goal of the season (4.). The visitors tried to hit back immediately, but home keeper Thomas Kraft was more than a match for a volley by Zlatko Dedic after an accurate cross from the right (6.). Hertha continued to move forward. Nico Schulz was played into the Bochum box on the left, only to be thwarted by VfL keeper Andreas Luthe who reached the ball ahead of the Berlin youngster (9.). Sami Allagui then had a great chance to double the lead, but a double challenge by Maltritz and Luthe denied the Tunisian at the last moment (17.).
Home skipper Peter Niemeyer tried his luck from 25 metres out, but the ball flew well over the bar. Luthe was called into action again as he cleared a Ronny free kick a split second before Lustenberger reached the ball (25.). Levan Kobiashvili put a pinpoint cross onto the head of Adrian Ramos, but the Columbian headed the ball agonisingly wide of the far post (31.). The visitors rarely threatened. On 39 minutes a free kick taken by Marc Rzatkowski from the right of the Berlin box was easily dealt with by Kraft (39.). Hertha took a slender but well deserved one goal lead into the break with them.
Schulz breaks his duck
The second half began much as the first had. Not even a minute of the second half had been played before the home side scored again. Schulz went on a fine solo run which carried him onto the Bochum box from where he coolly slotted home his first ever goal for Hertha (46.). Allagui threatened again but was once again denied by Bochum's best player - keeper Luthe, who punched a cross by Ronny off the head of the advancing Tunisian (53.). Bochum tried hard but could find no way through Hertha's well organised back line, although Peter Pekarik had to stretch to block a shot by Yusuke Tasaka on 68 minutes.
Five minutes beforehand Ronny had found Allagui in the box, and the young striker controlled the ball well, only to fire wide of target (63.). Luthe somehow managed to tip a direct free kick by Ronny around a post for a corner (70.). Fifteen minutes from the end Luhukay introduced fresh legs to the fray, with Ramos and Kluge being replaced by Alfredo Morales and Ben Sahar. Hertha played out the remaining minutes in their usual calm and collected manner to deservedly win 2-0 and move back to the top of the table.
Now the mother of all clashes
On matchday 28 Hertha entertain second placed Eintracht Braunschweig at the Olympic stadium on Monday evening (08.04.13). The eagerly-awaited top two clash kicks off at 20.15 and will be shown live on German TV station Sport 1. What a game that promises to be.
After having to pick his team for the goalless draw at 1860 Munich from an injury-depleted squad, Hertha boss Jos Luhukay was relieved to have almost everyone at his disposal for the visit of Bochum on matchday 27. Only Marcel Ndjeng (lack of match fitness) and Maik Franz (bad cold) were ruled out. Once again Lustenberger and Brooks formed a partnership in central defence, while Niemeyer and Kluge played in front of the back four.
Perfect start
The home side made the perfect start, taking the lead with the first attack of the game. Ronny won possession in midfield and was brought down some 20 metres out by Christoph Dabrowski. Hertha's Brazilian took the resulting free kick himself, and beautifully curled the ball into the top right hand corner of the net for his 14th goal of the season (4.). The visitors tried to hit back immediately, but home keeper Thomas Kraft was more than a match for a volley by Zlatko Dedic after an accurate cross from the right (6.). Hertha continued to move forward. Nico Schulz was played into the Bochum box on the left, only to be thwarted by VfL keeper Andreas Luthe who reached the ball ahead of the Berlin youngster (9.). Sami Allagui then had a great chance to double the lead, but a double challenge by Maltritz and Luthe denied the Tunisian at the last moment (17.).
Home skipper Peter Niemeyer tried his luck from 25 metres out, but the ball flew well over the bar. Luthe was called into action again as he cleared a Ronny free kick a split second before Lustenberger reached the ball (25.). Levan Kobiashvili put a pinpoint cross onto the head of Adrian Ramos, but the Columbian headed the ball agonisingly wide of the far post (31.). The visitors rarely threatened. On 39 minutes a free kick taken by Marc Rzatkowski from the right of the Berlin box was easily dealt with by Kraft (39.). Hertha took a slender but well deserved one goal lead into the break with them.
Schulz breaks his duck
The second half began much as the first had. Not even a minute of the second half had been played before the home side scored again. Schulz went on a fine solo run which carried him onto the Bochum box from where he coolly slotted home his first ever goal for Hertha (46.). Allagui threatened again but was once again denied by Bochum's best player - keeper Luthe, who punched a cross by Ronny off the head of the advancing Tunisian (53.). Bochum tried hard but could find no way through Hertha's well organised back line, although Peter Pekarik had to stretch to block a shot by Yusuke Tasaka on 68 minutes.
Five minutes beforehand Ronny had found Allagui in the box, and the young striker controlled the ball well, only to fire wide of target (63.). Luthe somehow managed to tip a direct free kick by Ronny around a post for a corner (70.). Fifteen minutes from the end Luhukay introduced fresh legs to the fray, with Ramos and Kluge being replaced by Alfredo Morales and Ben Sahar. Hertha played out the remaining minutes in their usual calm and collected manner to deservedly win 2-0 and move back to the top of the table.
Now the mother of all clashes
On matchday 28 Hertha entertain second placed Eintracht Braunschweig at the Olympic stadium on Monday evening (08.04.13). The eagerly-awaited top two clash kicks off at 20.15 and will be shown live on German TV station Sport 1. What a game that promises to be.