Teams | May 13, 2013 at 01:51 PM
Hertha BSC=Champions!
Hertha BSC=Champions!
Hertha were crowned Bundesliga 2 champions after beating Köln 2-1 away from home.
Berlin - Hertha BSC won their final away game of the season on Sunday afternoon. Coach Jos Luhukay's men beat 1. FC Köln 2-1 in front of 49,500 at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion on matchday 33. Second placed Eintracht Braunschweig were hammered 5-1 at St. Pauli, so Hertha go up to the Bundesliga as champions. They will receive the trophy next Sunday when they play Energie Cottbus at home on the final day of the season. Levan Kobiashvili and Alfredo Morales scored for Hertha. Christian Clemens replied for the home side.
Berlin boss Jos Luhukay made four changes to the side which beat Aue 3-2 at the Olympic stadium last time out: Top scorer Ronny and right back Peter Pekarik were suspended after receiving fifth bookings against Aue. Marcel Ndjeng returned to the team at right back, while veteran Gerogian Levan Kobiashvili was preferred to Nico Schulz. In central defence Christoph Janker played instead of Roman Hubnik, while in attacking midfield Peer Kluge took the place of Ronny. Home coach Holger Stanislawski made just one change to his team which lost 1-2 to rejuvenated VfL Bochum last weekend: Bruno Nascimento lined up alongside Kevin McKenna in central defence at the expense of Dominic Maroh.
Kobiashvili cool from the spot
The game began at a lively pace and Köln threatened first, as Jonas Hector fired a shot from the left edge of the Berlin box just wide of the left hand post (4.). Three minutes later Änis Ben-Hatira had a shot blocked at the end of a Hertha counter attack. Hertha's newly-formed back four began to find their feet before John Anthony Brooks headed a corner from Ndjeng over the bar of home keeper Timo Horn.
Köln then got a good scoring chance out of the blue as a blocked long distance effort by Christian Clemens landed at the feet of the-surprised Köln striker Anthony Ujah, who was foiled by smart work from Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft (22.). The ball was in the back of Hertha's net only seconds later. But Nascimento's strike was disallowed because McKenna had committed a foul before the final pass was made. That close call boosted the home side, and Kraft made a brilliant save diving low to his right to deny Ujah a goal from an acrobatic bicycle kick (24.). The league leaders threatened again on 33 minutes, but Ben-Hatira's volley following a pass from Kluge flew well over the bar. Hertha went one better only 3 minutes later. Ben-Hatira turned with the ball just inside the Köln area and was brought down by Köln skipper Miso Brecko. The resulting spot kick was coolly dispatched into the middle of the goal by Kobiashvili. The goal settled Hertha down and they cleverly guarded their slender lead until the halftime whistle.
Morales scores his first Hertha goal
Luhukay sent the same eleven out for the start of the second half. His Köln counterpart Stanislavski made one change, bringing on former Hertha man Sascha Bigalke for Chihi. The visitors should have doubled their lead seconds after the restart, after Fabian Lustenberger had superbly found Allagui on the right wing, from where he found Ben-Hatira with a perfect pass. Sadly, the Tunisian somehow pushed his close range effort wide of an empty goal. The same thing happened to Matthias Lehmann at the other end (50.). Birthday boy Alfredo Morales then gave himself the perfect birthday present. On 55 minutes Ndjeng curled a free kick into the Köln box from the left. Morales back-headed the ball and it flew into the net to give the Hertha youngster his first ever goal for the club.
Despite that setback, the home side refused to give in and pressed forward on several occasions. Substitute Bigalke tested Kraft (56.) before the stopper was in action again shortly afterwards to deal with a shot from distance by Ujah (59.). Hertha could have put the game to bed on 62 minutes, as Adrian Ramos volleyed a Ndjeng cross onto the crossbar from where it flew out of play. Stanislawski then brought on a further striker in Kacper Przybylko for Lehmann and he was soon to be rewarded. A right footed cross from the left by Christian Clemens sank over the head of Kraft and into the net to make the score 1-2 (68.). Luhukay reacted by bringing on gritty Czech defender Roman Hubnik for Kluge. Köln brought on Daniel Royer for Thomas Bröker. The game became more hectic as Hertha defended with man and mouse while Köln searched for an equalising goal. Luhukay introduced Ben Sahar for hard-working Allagui with a quarter of an hour to go. Nascimento almost equalised with a back-heel, but Kraft was up to the challenge (84.).
Silverware presentation at home to Cottbus
Luhukay sent Sandro Wagner on for Ben-Hatira late on. Köln began a final offensive during which Ujah had two headers saved by Kraft (84., 87.). The 2-1 victory sees Hertha go up to the Bundesliga next season as the Bundesliga 2 champions. They will be presented with the trophy next Sunday when they play their final game of the season at home to Energie Cottbus, to crown what has been a fantastic season.
Berlin boss Jos Luhukay made four changes to the side which beat Aue 3-2 at the Olympic stadium last time out: Top scorer Ronny and right back Peter Pekarik were suspended after receiving fifth bookings against Aue. Marcel Ndjeng returned to the team at right back, while veteran Gerogian Levan Kobiashvili was preferred to Nico Schulz. In central defence Christoph Janker played instead of Roman Hubnik, while in attacking midfield Peer Kluge took the place of Ronny. Home coach Holger Stanislawski made just one change to his team which lost 1-2 to rejuvenated VfL Bochum last weekend: Bruno Nascimento lined up alongside Kevin McKenna in central defence at the expense of Dominic Maroh.
Kobiashvili cool from the spot
The game began at a lively pace and Köln threatened first, as Jonas Hector fired a shot from the left edge of the Berlin box just wide of the left hand post (4.). Three minutes later Änis Ben-Hatira had a shot blocked at the end of a Hertha counter attack. Hertha's newly-formed back four began to find their feet before John Anthony Brooks headed a corner from Ndjeng over the bar of home keeper Timo Horn.
Köln then got a good scoring chance out of the blue as a blocked long distance effort by Christian Clemens landed at the feet of the-surprised Köln striker Anthony Ujah, who was foiled by smart work from Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft (22.). The ball was in the back of Hertha's net only seconds later. But Nascimento's strike was disallowed because McKenna had committed a foul before the final pass was made. That close call boosted the home side, and Kraft made a brilliant save diving low to his right to deny Ujah a goal from an acrobatic bicycle kick (24.). The league leaders threatened again on 33 minutes, but Ben-Hatira's volley following a pass from Kluge flew well over the bar. Hertha went one better only 3 minutes later. Ben-Hatira turned with the ball just inside the Köln area and was brought down by Köln skipper Miso Brecko. The resulting spot kick was coolly dispatched into the middle of the goal by Kobiashvili. The goal settled Hertha down and they cleverly guarded their slender lead until the halftime whistle.
Morales scores his first Hertha goal
Luhukay sent the same eleven out for the start of the second half. His Köln counterpart Stanislavski made one change, bringing on former Hertha man Sascha Bigalke for Chihi. The visitors should have doubled their lead seconds after the restart, after Fabian Lustenberger had superbly found Allagui on the right wing, from where he found Ben-Hatira with a perfect pass. Sadly, the Tunisian somehow pushed his close range effort wide of an empty goal. The same thing happened to Matthias Lehmann at the other end (50.). Birthday boy Alfredo Morales then gave himself the perfect birthday present. On 55 minutes Ndjeng curled a free kick into the Köln box from the left. Morales back-headed the ball and it flew into the net to give the Hertha youngster his first ever goal for the club.
Despite that setback, the home side refused to give in and pressed forward on several occasions. Substitute Bigalke tested Kraft (56.) before the stopper was in action again shortly afterwards to deal with a shot from distance by Ujah (59.). Hertha could have put the game to bed on 62 minutes, as Adrian Ramos volleyed a Ndjeng cross onto the crossbar from where it flew out of play. Stanislawski then brought on a further striker in Kacper Przybylko for Lehmann and he was soon to be rewarded. A right footed cross from the left by Christian Clemens sank over the head of Kraft and into the net to make the score 1-2 (68.). Luhukay reacted by bringing on gritty Czech defender Roman Hubnik for Kluge. Köln brought on Daniel Royer for Thomas Bröker. The game became more hectic as Hertha defended with man and mouse while Köln searched for an equalising goal. Luhukay introduced Ben Sahar for hard-working Allagui with a quarter of an hour to go. Nascimento almost equalised with a back-heel, but Kraft was up to the challenge (84.).
Silverware presentation at home to Cottbus
Luhukay sent Sandro Wagner on for Ben-Hatira late on. Köln began a final offensive during which Ujah had two headers saved by Kraft (84., 87.). The 2-1 victory sees Hertha go up to the Bundesliga next season as the Bundesliga 2 champions. They will be presented with the trophy next Sunday when they play their final game of the season at home to Energie Cottbus, to crown what has been a fantastic season.