Teams | May 4, 2013 at 08:05 PM
Hertha BSC beat Aue 3-2
Hertha BSC beat Aue 3-2
Hertha led 3-0 at the break before conceding twice.
Berlin - Hertha BSC welcomed FC Erzgebirge Aue to the Olympic stadium in Berlin, for their penultimate home game of the season on Friday evening (03.05.13). Although three up at halftime, Aue struck back twice in the second half. In then end the home side ran out the deserved 3-2 winners.
Hertha boss Jos Luhukay (as has been the case so often this term) was forced to change his starting line up: Maik Franz and Marcel Ndjeng were both suspended, while skipper Peter Niemeyer lacked match fitness following the concussion sustained in the home win over Braunschweig. Czech defender Roman Hubnik got a rare start, lining up alongside John Anthony Brooks in the back four. Nico Schulz got the nod over Levan Kobiashvili at left back and Peter Pekarik returned at right back following his hamstring injury. Aue's new coach and former Hertha supremo Falko Götz fielded a second striker in Mike Könnecke. The former Hertha midfielder Oliver Schröder faced his former club after recovering from injury.
Exciting opening half
The home side carried on where they had left off in their 3-2 win at St.Pauli last time out. The Berliners took the game to the visitors from the off, getting on top in the early stages. On 10 minutes Sami Allagui and Änis Ben-Hatira played their way down the right, before Allagui found Adrian Ramos in the middle. The Columbian goal getter easily bagged his 11th of the season from five metres out. Aue tried to get forward and a corner from Jan Hochscheidt landed at the feet of Marc Hensel. Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft and defender Pekarik somehow together cleared the danger (17.).
Hertha remained in control, but failed to produce the final telling pass to their front line. On 30 minutes Ramos fed Ben-Hatira whose shot from a promising position was easily saved by Aue keeper Martin Männel. Allagui and Ronny combined well to set up the second goal. The Brazilian's shot was deflected on its way past Männel. It was Ronny's 18th goal of the season (34.). Ronny almost scored again not long afterwards after being nicely set up by Ramos, but Hertha’s top scorer aimed to high and a promising chance was missed (42.). Moments before the halftime whistle Ronny crossed a corner onto the head of Roman Hubnik, who rose unchallenged to nod Hertha into a 3-0 halftime lead.
Auer fight back
Luhukay brought on Pierre-Michel Lasogga for Ramos at the start of the second half, but it would be the visitors who would make the better start. The second half was hardly a minute old as Fabian Müller crossed from the right onto the head of Jakub Sylvestr, who easily nodded the ball home with not a Hertha defender anywhere near him (46.). The home side continued to take the game to Aue and a crisp cross by Allagui was agonisingly too high for Ben-Hatira lurking in the middle (54.). Aue then made it 3-2 out of the blue. Match referee Bastian Dankert ruled that Pekarik had fouled Hochscheidt inside the Hertha area and pointed to the penalty spot. The spot kick was coolly slotted into the bottom right hand corner of Kraft's net by Sylvestr (65.).
Ben Sahar came on for Ben-Hatira on 70 minutes, but Hertha's attacks were no where near as potent as they had been before the break. Aue almost equalised through Sylvestr. But Kraft raced off his line to win that one on one battle (82.). At the other end Lasogga tried his luck from the edge of the box but Männel had little trouble saving the effort (83.). Two minutes later Aue's keeper produced a stunning save to tip an Allagui shot around a post.
Last away game in Köln
After a final shot by Lasogga the referee blew time on a hard earned 3-2 Hertha win, who are on course to return to the Bundesliga as champions. Next Sunday (12.05.13, 13.30 CET) Luhukay and Co. are away to Köln in the penultimate game of the season. Pekarik and Ronny will not make the trip because they both picked up fifth bookings against Aue and are suspended.
Hertha boss Jos Luhukay (as has been the case so often this term) was forced to change his starting line up: Maik Franz and Marcel Ndjeng were both suspended, while skipper Peter Niemeyer lacked match fitness following the concussion sustained in the home win over Braunschweig. Czech defender Roman Hubnik got a rare start, lining up alongside John Anthony Brooks in the back four. Nico Schulz got the nod over Levan Kobiashvili at left back and Peter Pekarik returned at right back following his hamstring injury. Aue's new coach and former Hertha supremo Falko Götz fielded a second striker in Mike Könnecke. The former Hertha midfielder Oliver Schröder faced his former club after recovering from injury.
Exciting opening half
The home side carried on where they had left off in their 3-2 win at St.Pauli last time out. The Berliners took the game to the visitors from the off, getting on top in the early stages. On 10 minutes Sami Allagui and Änis Ben-Hatira played their way down the right, before Allagui found Adrian Ramos in the middle. The Columbian goal getter easily bagged his 11th of the season from five metres out. Aue tried to get forward and a corner from Jan Hochscheidt landed at the feet of Marc Hensel. Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft and defender Pekarik somehow together cleared the danger (17.).
Hertha remained in control, but failed to produce the final telling pass to their front line. On 30 minutes Ramos fed Ben-Hatira whose shot from a promising position was easily saved by Aue keeper Martin Männel. Allagui and Ronny combined well to set up the second goal. The Brazilian's shot was deflected on its way past Männel. It was Ronny's 18th goal of the season (34.). Ronny almost scored again not long afterwards after being nicely set up by Ramos, but Hertha’s top scorer aimed to high and a promising chance was missed (42.). Moments before the halftime whistle Ronny crossed a corner onto the head of Roman Hubnik, who rose unchallenged to nod Hertha into a 3-0 halftime lead.
Auer fight back
Luhukay brought on Pierre-Michel Lasogga for Ramos at the start of the second half, but it would be the visitors who would make the better start. The second half was hardly a minute old as Fabian Müller crossed from the right onto the head of Jakub Sylvestr, who easily nodded the ball home with not a Hertha defender anywhere near him (46.). The home side continued to take the game to Aue and a crisp cross by Allagui was agonisingly too high for Ben-Hatira lurking in the middle (54.). Aue then made it 3-2 out of the blue. Match referee Bastian Dankert ruled that Pekarik had fouled Hochscheidt inside the Hertha area and pointed to the penalty spot. The spot kick was coolly slotted into the bottom right hand corner of Kraft's net by Sylvestr (65.).
Ben Sahar came on for Ben-Hatira on 70 minutes, but Hertha's attacks were no where near as potent as they had been before the break. Aue almost equalised through Sylvestr. But Kraft raced off his line to win that one on one battle (82.). At the other end Lasogga tried his luck from the edge of the box but Männel had little trouble saving the effort (83.). Two minutes later Aue's keeper produced a stunning save to tip an Allagui shot around a post.
Last away game in Köln
After a final shot by Lasogga the referee blew time on a hard earned 3-2 Hertha win, who are on course to return to the Bundesliga as champions. Next Sunday (12.05.13, 13.30 CET) Luhukay and Co. are away to Köln in the penultimate game of the season. Pekarik and Ronny will not make the trip because they both picked up fifth bookings against Aue and are suspended.